The Powers That Be
by CrowNoYami
Summary: Having sacrificed his life to save the world, The Powers That Be decide that Spike deserves a second chance, this one without the chip, without the pain of sunlight... and without Buffy. William The Bloody is going back home. SLASH
1. Chapter One

_How could one moment_

_Change the course of time?_

_How could it all decide_

_Decide if you were mine?_

_One moment you were next to me_

_And the next you're far away_

_I try to make my way to you_

_But my legs will only stay_

_A soft smile on your face_

_As a lie comes, a lovely sound_

_Words that I wanted to hear_

_Before my life was bound_

_And now the light comes forth_

_As I say my last goodbye_

_A smile on my face_

_As for you I proudly die_

Chapter One

Of Hearts and Souls

Pain, everything was burning… his flesh and soul alike, making him let go and forcing out a cry never before having come from his lips. He had known that it would hurt, but never anything like this, not even when he was human could he experience a pain like this before; never… not when he got that chip or the times that he almost made his final rest. The pain was everywhere, inside his body and spirit, there wasn't anywhere that the pain hadn't touched and yet he felt oddly comforted by it.

For years he had been fighting for something to make him feel more human, first it was the killing then staying around the slayer; be it to torment, to shag, and eventually to love but now he could feel the ultimate feeling of being human... death. It was true that there were going to be some regrets, like not being able to bother Peaches again, or to see his Dark Princess. For a moment he allowed himself to push back as much of the pain as he could and think about those parting words between him and his love, it had hurt to know that the only time she would say those words were when she couldn't mean them but maybe in the after-life that wouldn't hurt so much anymore.

Closing his eyes, Spike let the pain wash over him; let it take everything that he was so that he could finally find his rest. Five minutes later he was starting to get impatient; he still hurt like hell but it was more tolerable now and he couldn't hear anything going on around him. Opening his eyes, Spike tried to see what the after-life looked like when he noticed that there was nothing; no light (not that he was expecting any after all those killings) no flames, nothing… only darkness as far as he could see.

Taking a breath in he tried to sniff out what could be in the darkness, but was once again met with nothing that his senses could tell him. Moving to check behind him he still could not see a thing, which caused him to sigh before shrugging and placing his hands in the pockets of his jeans. If someone thought that he was willing to walk around without seeing anything they were going to be disappointed.

A slight noise came from in front him but Spike still couldn't see anything, then without warning a soft light glowed about ten feet from him. There was what he assumed to be a man there; he was tall; a bit above 6 feet and slender, a black cloak keeping his face from view. Three more lights seemed to have gone up around the man, one of them showed a woman; known by her impressive breasts, she was a head over 5 feet and was also covered with a cloak.

Another man and woman appeared as well, both of them were around 6 feet in height and mostly hidden by the cloaks. Wondering if they were going to show him all of his evil deeds he had done in his life, Spike shrugged lightly and decided to speak up first if only to break the silence.

"I don't know what you've planned to tell me but I already know that I'm one of those "Big Baddies" and what I've done… now if we could just move on I'd be happy to get on with my afterlife, okay mate?"

After he was done speaking Spike could hear a soft giggling coming from one of the women. Raising an eyebrow, Spike looked at the shorter of the two women in silent question before the man beside her spoke. His voice was rich; it made you wish to do whatever he said as it held a power in it you could clearly hear.

"For several hundred years we waited for someone to give the ultimate sacrifice for those they loved. You were chosen to give your life for the humans you had been taught to destroy. It was not certain that you would meet your fate or not, but we are glad that you did."

After the first man spoke the second opened his mouth to continue from where the other left off. This mans' voice was cold and hard, one of someone who had killed to survive and sought no pleasure in life.

"Because of you now there are thousands, if not millions of lives that had been saved. You have protected the innocent while still holding the will of a killer; you managed to instead bring life into this world. You are what we created the amulet for; the ultimate savoir and hero… the ultimate sacrifice"

Now it was the taller woman's time to speak, her voice flowed over him like a soft warm breeze. Her words were spoken with emotion which was a great contrast to the man who had spoken from her side.

"For such a sacrifice you will no longer hold your place in hell with those like you but instead ascend into heaven. Normally that would be all and we would be on our way but you have proven yourself more than worthy once again with your own human emotions. We have seen your love of the Slayer; we have watched you ever since you started to change. To have someone love another like you have loved her and yet expect nothing in return, to think yourself unworthy is such a thing that has brought you here before us instead of being on your way to heaven."

Taking a step towards him, the smaller woman and only one not to speak yet opened her mouth. If Spike had thought that the first woman had held emotion then this one was pure feeling. Her soothing voice melted something inside him and made him feel safe and comfortable.

"You, one of such sacrifice have never known the true power of love and what it holds. You gave up everything to save others, and yet you have never had your love returned to you; because of this we have decided to change your fate. You will not be ascending quite yet, as indeed we have come up with someone much better for you.

We will grant you much power for someone of your blood… although some of us thought of turning you human to take your demon self from you would only destroy part of you. To make your quest easier you will hold no fear for the burning rays of the blessed sun fore it will not harm you. The water of those from pure spirit will not destroy your skin because you have proven yourself to their God as well."

Spike couldn't believe what was being said, he wouldn't have to worry about the hours that he was outside and not have to worry about that bloody holy water. The small woman walked closer to him and brought his hands in her own, holding them between the two.

"As to every ying there must be a yang; to send you on your way back to where you once were would only lead you to more heartache and pain. The Slayer is not the one for you, you should know this… only pain and hate will come between you never love."

When Spike started to bow his head in defeat, the woman dropped one of their hands and brought it to his chin to push it up to look at her again.

"You do however have someone out there that will ease the pain in your heart. We will send you to him, in a place you know well… there are things we ask in return for this. Your chip will be removed upon your wakening from your travel but you cannot turn those unwilling or kill those who are pure.

This will allow you to drink from those willingly and turn should you feel the need. To keep your secrecy we have decided that only your fangs will change on your face while feeding. Your demon will be a part of you now more than ever; fore we will also take your soul. That is the true cost of everything we have given you, your soul will be lost but unlike the slayer your mate will not care."

Giving Spike one last smile the woman patted his cheek lightly before moving back beside the man she had been standing by before. Linking their hands together, the four people gave him a slight smile before chanting in a language he had never heard before.

As they chanted more forcefully and closed their eyes there was a soft blue glow that came around him from all sides. It was then that everything the four of them had said started to fully sink in, he was to leave everything behind and go somewhere he didn't know and try to find his mate… who was male.

Spike never even got the chance to panic as the glow spread through his entire being and the pain was there once again although reasonably less this time. Before he passed out there was a soft voice inside his head, one that he hadn't heard while in the strange space with the four people.

'_Do not worry, little one… you're going back home…'_

Disclaimer:I do not now nor have I ever owned anything to do with Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The only things that I_do_ own are the ideas used as well as any original characters that may show up and poems, can't forget about the poems

Authors Notes: Hey, I wrote this story back in 2010 and have been updating it every now and again for the past 3 years. Because of this, some of my original ideas make no sense to me anymore and some new ones have taken their place. I will be re-writing this series chapter by chapter. Some (like this chapter) I will not change and others will be re-done from scratch.

I am still looking for a beta to help with spelling and grammar.

With love,

Mari-chan


	2. Chapter Two

_I sit here and wonder_

_What I did in the past_

_To deserve this kind of treatment_

_As pain rips along my back_

_But then a flash of her face_

_And the tears that fell down_

_And I know that as my skin rips_

_And my hands are tightly bound_

_That I deserve this punishment_

_This Hell in mortal times_

_Because I gave you up my dear_

_I hurt what was once mine_

_So you take up your vengeance_

_My body is yours to harm_

_But my soul that you cannot touch_

_Is screaming in alarm_

_It sad when you think about it_

_The Hell I was to receive_

_My redemption is now paid_

_And is to Heaven that I will leave_

_But your soul is now stained with blood_

_With my blood to be exact_

_And to Hell it will now remain_

_To never redeem itself back_

Chapter Two

It wasn't the sound of people moving around in the town, or the sound of the girls training above him that woke him. There was no cold dampness in the air like he was used to, no smell of a basement to awaken him. No words were being said and last of all there was no female scent anywhere, instead it was the warmth of sunlight which had started to shine upon his face that woke the blond from his sleep.

Blinking, Spike realized what was hitting his face and quickly stumbled away from it, hissing as he did so. Brining a hand to his face he checked for injuries only to find none, surprised Spike once again looked to the window where the sun was peeking out. He could see it, could see the rays flowing through the glass and landing on the small bed that was in the center of the room.

Ever so carefully, Spike placed his hand on the covers of the bed, he couldn't remember the last time he had slept on one so soft. Ever so slowly his hand made its way to the edge of where the sun was resting against the dark green covers. Gulping, Spike closed his eyes only to thrust his hand forward and into the rays of the sun.

Expecting the harsh burn to melt away at his skin like acid he was ready to pull back when he realized that it didn't hurt. The sun was indeed warm against his skin but not painful, there was no smoke or ash coming from his hand, only a comforting feeling he hadn't felt in many years.

Cautiously as if it was some kind of trick, Spike moved so that his entire body was eventually covered in the once-harmful rays of the sun. When nothing happened, Spike stood up and made his way to the window, pushing it up he let the sun hit him with its full force. Once again nothing happened to harm him; there was nothing wrong as if he was alive again.

With that thought, Spikes' eyes widened and he brought a hand to his mouth to run along his teeth. Finding his fangs still there and checking to make sure there was no pulse; Spike had to breathe a sigh of relief. Although he had started to act more human he didn't want to become one of those weak creatures. Plopping himself back down on the bed, Spike closed his eyes, both basking in the feeling of having the sun against his skin and trying to remember where the hell he was.

In a rush the memories of his sacrifice and the meeting that followed flowed into his brain. When it had finished, Spike realized that he still had no idea where he was as nobody had really told him. Someone saying that he was going back home meant nothing to the vampire, he had held several homes throughout his time on this planet and none of them looked like this room.

Deciding that he wouldn't be able to find out where he was by staying in one spot, Spike stood up once again and looked around to find the door that lead outside of the room. Opening it up he glanced down to notice a long hallway filled with many other doors, shrugging his shoulders he started to walk down the hallway, looking for a way out.

After ten minutes of walking around bits and pieces of memory started to bite at him, although he had never stepped foot inside of the bedroom he woke up in there was some similarities between the house and something from his memory. At the end of an hour of walking around Spike finally found a room of interest for him, although the house was mostly covered in a fine layer of dust this was one of the rooms that was clean, the kitchen.

Sighing Spike looked around the kitchen, wondering why there were so many stools pushed up against the stove and other things when he remembered. With great speed he dashed up a few hallways and stairs until he came to a huge doorway. Taking a sharp breath, Spike threw open the wooden doors and gazed at the bedroom inside.

Inside the room was a huge bed, larger than a king-size along with a vanity table and a couple night tables as well. A candle holder was in place at either side of the bed, pure silver though the dust was hiding that well. Off to the right side was a door to what Spike knew would hold a huge walk-in closet full of clothing that went out of style long ago but would still fit him if needed. Also on the right side was another door that would lead to his personal bathing room, he hoped that if he was to stay here he would be able to change it for modern times as well. To the left however was another door, a wistful smile spread on Spikes face at that door, it lead to where the mistress of the house would stay until they were wed, although he had never held a woman there for long.

Stepping inside of the room, Spike tried not to breathe in too deeply given the state of it, the house elves would have long ago gone into a deep sleep awaiting the return of their heir. Moving himself to the left bed table where a stick of wax was still there, having long ago burnt out, Spike reached for the top drawer and pulled it open. He would have to re-write the wards on the house since he was actually dead in order to get the elves up and see that he was the true heir.

As the drawer pulled out he wondered if this would work anymore, now that he had already died or if it would all backfire. Shaking those thoughts from his head, Spike waited until he could see inside the drawer and had to blink his eyes from wonder as there it laid, untouched by time. Gazing at the small wooden stick, Spike felt a sense of home come across him, he knew that it would be hard for him to catch up on everything but in all reality he finally was home.

Picking up the slender stick, he waited until it was about chest height before using his wrist to twirl slightly in the air. Not even having to say a word this caused the stick to spark silver and gold colors from the end which swirled around him to cover him completely for a few moments. When the swirling colors finally vanished Spike noticed that there was one house elf in front of him, dressed in the family colors, unlike most house elves the ones in his house always had a uniform to wear and proper clothing and sleeping arrangements.

The elf bowed deeply to Spike although he knew it was trying its hardest not to squeal in joy at having a master to serve once again. Not many knew it but without a proper master it was possible for the house elves to die, hence why they served so loyally no matter how they are treated. His family had long ago realized this and had stopped treating the house elves so horribly after his great grandfather declared that they were servants, not slaves.

"Master, my name is Blitsy, sir. Blitsy is so happy to serve Master William again; it had been so long since house elves have been able to serve such a good master. What can Blitsy and the house elves be doing for Master?"

Mentally reminding himself that it wasn't their fault that the house elves didn't speak properly even compared to himself, Spike managed to give the head house elf a small smile. He hated his name, but they didn't know that and in this house he was never "Spike" he was only "Master William" and that he supposed was a good thing.

"Blitsy I would like for you and the house elves to try and get some of the dust out of the rooms, starting with this one and working towards the main rooms. I don't expect a meal to be made today or tonight for myself but feel free to go shopping for you and the rest of the staff. During your magical sleep I haven't been able to get in contact with the Wizarding world either, so I suppose I need to go to Gringotts to see how my investments have progressed. I expect this room to be done before I return, understood?"

With a happy squeal and reassurance that the house elves would have more than that done, Blitsy vanished with a small crack behind her to go off and give his orders to the other house elves that were starting to wake up in their rooms. Looking once more at the room, Spike wished he knew what was in style for the Wizarding world now, but having been out of it for over a hundred years would leave you without any taste in fashion. Deciding that he very well couldn't go anywhere naked he opened his closet and pulled out a random cloak, and after charming it clean put it on.

Walking out of his room with his wand tucked in his pants pocket, Spike made his way down the many hallways now that he knew where he was. Along with the dust on the floor and furniture it seemed that the house elves had covered the portraits with white sheets, making it a bit easier for him to grasp where he was without them yelling at him. Once he reached the doorway, Spike wondered how strong the wards would be on his home after being away for so long and not being able to strengthen them.

Making a mental note to re-establish the wards after he had a chance to look through the library, Spike opened the door letting the sunlight wrap around his form as if an embrace. With a soft sigh, Spike closed the door behind him and walked down a long walkway until he reached an archway. The archway served as both decoration and the end point to the anti-apparition wards. Crossing the archway Spike felt the wards disappear, making him smile at the loss he felt, maybe he didn't need to strengthen them after all. Finally with one last look at his home, Spike vanished with a soft "pop" sound the only thing that announced his disappearance.

Disclaimer:I do not own either Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer… if I did do you really think anything bad would happen to Spike?

A/N:Hey this is the second chapter! I hope to be able to update soon

With love

Mari-chan


	3. Chapter Three

_You slipped through my fingers_

_My dreams fade away_

_My helplessness consuming_

_Every single day_

_I wish I could be a fly_

_On the wall of your heart_

_That way in my mind_

_We would never have to part_

_I sit here alone_

_And broken I stand_

_You think that that's strong enough_

_To make you a man?_

Chapter Two

Diagon Alley, the only Wizarding shopping centre he had known would still be there hadn't changed one bit from when he had left. Glancing around he noticed that it must be time for the students to come home as there were only adults shopping around the Alley, all of them seeming to hold either graduation or grading presents. Shrugging his shoulders at the stares he was getting in his usual clothing that he hadn't changed, Spike made his way to a white marble building that also hadn't changed since he left.

Stepping inside there were only a few people at the tellers, all of which stared at him openly while the goblins looked at him curiously. As a magical creature they knew that he wasn't human, but they knew better than to mention it unless he became a problem. Making his way up to an open teller, Spikes' face changed slightly to show that he meant business and wouldn't be pushed aside.

"I'm looking for the Goblin that took over Gramhook's family vaults. It was stated that only his own heir would be trusted with such or someone he appointed himself, if that helps."

As Spike spoke the goblins' eyes started to bulge, everyone at the bank knew who Gramhook had once been. A few hundred years ago he had been the sole goblin to take management of the Malfoy vaults. It was because of Gramhook that the Malfoy's even came to Gringotts instead of getting their own personal banker. Gramhook had also closed several more deals, the Black family, Potter family, Longbottom family, heck most of the pureblood families that dealt with the bank were because of him.

For someone to know that goblins name and request that they see his heir there was only one family that requested that their vault staid with Gramhook's bloodline. Bowing deeply the goblin stated that he would get the heir right away, fleeing to fetch the newly appointed heir of Gramhook's' line. When he returned, the goblin motioned for Spike to come behind the counter, someone that nobody was allowed to do which caused the goblins that had been too far away to hear and the humans to gasp in shock.

Nodding his head, Spike walked behind the counter and followed the goblin to an office, probably one of the biggest and nicely furnished in the building. As the door opened, the goblin left him while Spike made himself inside, seeing a goblin there with several files on his desk and a pleasant smile on his face. Sniffing, Spike could tell that he was nervous, probably new at the job as well if his needing to review the files was any indication.

As motioned Spike shut the door from prying eyes and cast several charms on it before taking a seat before the goblin. Leaning back on the chair he let the goblin observe him, already knowing that he was wearing old clothing and that he looked more muggle than anything else. Mentally counting to ten, Spike locked gazes with the goblin and waited for him to introduce himself.

"My name is Griphook, Lord Malfoy, and I must say that it is both a shock and an honor to have you come back to the Wizarding world. My four-times-great-grandfather was Gramhook, making me his heir and head of your family vaults. Now as stated three hundred years ago all of your investments have been in place as well as any updated ones that my family agreed would be good and profitable. Also one tenth of your original statement was given to your half-brother along with five percent of your investments."

Opening up one of the files on his desk, Griphook tried the best he could from looking surprised while reading the contents of the file. Spike merely smirked at the look Griphook was giving the parchment, it seemed like he was set for a while financially. When Griphook looked back up at him, Spike tried to hide his smirk but didn't manage it very well but that didn't seem to bother Griphook at all.

"Although technically you had died out sensors registered that you were re-born therefore nothing had been taken from your vault, no matter how much Lor-Mister Malfoy tried to get into your vaults. I am pleased to tell you that you, Lord Malfoy now that you have returned can gain your full name and all the power that comes with it. Along with that is also the fact that you are now the richest wizard in all of Europe and possibly the world, although I will have to get some numbers from other countries to be sure."

Blinking stupidly, Spike tried to grasp what Griphook had said, he was loaded. With an ease that he shouldn't have been able to, Spike merely pushed that information aside for now to brainstorm on latter. Glancing down at his right hand, Spike wondered if he should become Lord Malfoy but the earlier words about the current Malfoy trying to take the money that wasn't his made him burn enough inside to deicide.

"Griphook, if you don't mind I would like to go through with the ritual to take my name and inheritance. I don't like the fact that this Mister Malfoy had been trying to take what wasn't his. It was my own generosity that allowed them any money from the vaults at all, legally stating my brother was nothing more than a bastard and as such shouldn't even hold the Malfoy name."

Deciding not to say anything to either defend the Malfoys who had been long-time clients or agree with Spike, Griphook nodded and left through the same door that Spike himself had come in from. Sitting alone, Spike wondered if maybe he should get someone with more experience to take over his accounts, but then again it was Gramhook that he had liked back all those years ago and he was sure that the honesty that the elderly goblin had shown him then had been genuine.

It was common knowledge that goblins were in fact greedy creatures but Gramhook had been one of the few that so long as he was paid, didn't seem like he would take money out of his account. Shrugging his shoulders, Spike figured that he would have a while to figure out if he liked this goblin before he continued; perhaps it was time that he showed England why it was exactly that the Malfoy name held true power.

When finally Griphook returned into the room, he shut the door behind him, looking quite angry during his trip to get the things they would need. Interested, Spike sniffed the air slightly and realized that even though it was a goblin he could still smell the emotions coming from the creature, and anger was defiantly one of them along with a great dose of fear.

Taking in the angry and afraid form before him, Spike thought about what could have happened while gathering the supplies to make him react like this. When the anger started to fade he smelt the fear increase once the goblin noticed that Spike was eyeing him slightly. Figuring that it had to do with what he was than who he was, Spike shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't eat goblin if that's what your worried about, try not to eat anything unwilling now for a while. So why don't you tell me what happened in those few minutes you were gone?"

While organizing the bowl, knife, text and herbs that he would need for the ritual, Griphook spoke while taking Spikes hand and performing the blood ritual to get his rings. Starting by taking Spikes hand, Griphook used the knife to make a long and slightly deep cut to let the blood pour out and into the bowl underneath the hand. Once the blood was in the bowl, Griphook watched as the hand healed itself. Shaking his head slightly, Griphook placed in the already crushed herbs and started to chant lightly until the bowl glowed blue and the blood and herbs vanished to show a silver ring inside the bowl.

"It is a long-standing tradition for goblins to try and get the others job if higher up… the fact that you stated that only Gramhook's' heir could take care of your vaults made quite a few goblin families angry since they would have normally cheated their way to taking care of your vaults. I just got a reminder while getting the supplies that now that you have your full power back it is your responsibility to choose who will be taking care of your vaults from now on."

Nodding his head and waiting for the chanting to stop, Spike picked up the ring that was left at the bottom of the bowl. Looking it over he smiled slightly at the memories he held of seeing his father wear this same ring. Placing it on his right hand, Spike was once again engulfed in silver-gold magic before it settled having accepted him as the true holder of the ring. Turning back to the goblin before him, Spike shrugged his shoulders and leaned back in the chair comfortably.

"If what you said is true then why the hell would I change who takes care of my vaults? I mean seriously, any other goblin would have lied if only to steal the money away latter. It was Gramhook's' honesty that drew me into the bank in the first place, even though I knew that the other goblins would sooner stab me in the back. Your four-times-great-grandfather was a great person, hence why I kept my vault in his line and trusted him with any investments… the only reason I would take you off of my accounts is because I caught you stealing or being dishonest."

Tapping the side of his nose, Spike gave the goblin a warning look. Though Griphook could change the paperwork and change the balance before Spike noticed anything, his scent would give him away and they both knew it. There was no way for the goblin to steal from him without it showing in his scent somehow. Nodding slightly, Griphook started to relax and the fear eased away from him and his scent while he opened up another file.

"There have been several updates in our own technology since the last time that you visited our establishment. I'm sure that you're aware of the muggle credit cards? After much debating us at Gringotts have made our own branch of credit cards, allowing you to take money from the vault directly instead of having to go down to the vault itself each time you wish to make a withdraw. Also these cards work in the muggle world as well; leaving them the far most advanced we have been for a long time."

Taking out a credit card, Griphook passed it over to Spike who looked at it for a moment before pocketing the slim piece of plastic. Knowing that he had missed a lot but things hadn't seemed to change all that much, Spike wondered if he could get basic updates on the history of the Wizarding world for the past three hundred years. Having spoken that last thought out loud, Griphook happily complied by passing him a couple of the folders from the pile, explaining that inside was the highlighted events until recently.

Nodding his head, Spike stood up, taking with him several folders that he would have to read through, the top one stating all of his duties and rights now that he was back in power. Thanking Griphook, Spike easily shrunk the folders and placed them inside of his coat pocket.

Stepping outside of the doorway and into the main viewing area of Gringotts got just as much attention as before. Several eyes moved to look at a human who was behind the counter like it was the Dark Lord himself that was standing there wearing a tutu. Sighing to himself, Spike walked past the people and into the streets of Diagon Alley. Breathing in the fresh air he couldn't help his smile as the sun which was still out in mid-day grazed his skin without harming him.

With confident steps Spike looked around at the new shops and a couple of the older ones that had managed to change and stay in business through time. With a couple easy twists and turns, Spike made his way to one of the finer clothing stores, knowing that at least this one had managed to stay through the ages. Walking inside there were few people there seeing as most of their customers had their clothing tailored and shipped to their houses.

Not wishing for anyone to go to his home just yet, Spike moved his eyes around the fabric, although it seemed they were still in style he didn't want to wear any of his old clothing unless he needed to. Pulling a few robes from the hangers, Spike held them up to his body and looked down at himself, as the Powers the Be had said nothing about his reflection. Glancing at the tailor who was eyeing him distastefully, Spike turned his hand so that the tailor would be able to see his ring.

The moment the tailor saw his family ring he gasped and rushed over to help Spike in his choice of clothing. It took them both about two hours along with the help of another tailor who the first had to call in. When they were finished, Spike had one bag full of shrunken clothing along with the promise to have the rest of his clothing finished in a week.

With his bag in hand and a new black set of robes with silver trim along with his family crest etched on his left breast, Spike started on his way to Knockturn Alley. With his new clothing he drew a lot less attention except when the few people got a glimpse of the crest on his chest. With his robes blowing behind him, Spike followed his nose to a back shop that he knew had what he was looking for.

With his hood drawn up, Spike walked inside the shop and looked around. It was dark and dingy, like most of the shops around this part but he noticed that there were mirrors everywhere and random bunches of wolfs bane throughout the shop. Figuring that with what the guy sold that was to be expected, Spike was a bit surprised to see that he did indeed have a reflection in the mirror and silently thanked The Powers again for yet another gift.

Walking to the counter, Spike noticed that the bell was pure silver, smirking he rung it. It took only a few moments for an old man to come to him, looking suspicious at the fact that it was daytime and the silver bell didn't seem to do any harm to the customer. Pulling down his hood, Spike looked at the store keeper who hadn't seen his family crest yet.

"I'm going to make this quick and painless, I need blood and I'm willing to pay for it but although it would be illegal I would greatly appreciate human blood if you have it somewhere out back. I'm willing to buy such blood on a monthly or weekly basis."

The shopkeeper looked at Spike once again before he noticed the crest on the robes and a quick glance the ring on his finger. Turning white for a moment the shopkeeper nodded and rushed out back to get whatever it was that the true Lord Malfoy wanted. Although the Malfoy name did hold power even now, it was only because the true Lord had not been seen in over three hundred years, now that he had returned the Malfoy power had so much as tripled for the true Lord and the now Malfoy family would lose what power they once held in the Ministry.

Arriving back with a crate full of bags of blood, the shopkeeper looked on as Spike opened the crate and sniffed the contents. The blood was indeed human, and with the aide of magic they didn't even have to add the chemicals to keep the blood from clotting. Nodding his head, Spike pocketed the crate after shrinking it, tossing a bag full of galleons on the counter that he had gotten Blitsy to get for him while he was being fitted for clothing.

The shop keeper looked at the bag of galleons and the crate of blood before smiling at the man, he had given him a fair amount for his silence and they both knew it without it being said. Leaving his hood down, Spike walked out of the shop, once he was outside the shop he called for Blitsy once again and told her to take the crate to his room but not to open it, he would put the contents away when he got home.

Roaming for two hours around both Knockturn and Diagon Alley, Spike picked up a few things before finally caving and getting a pet phoenix so that he would be able to receive and give mail easily. The phoenix that he had chosen had in fact hatched while he was inside of the shop, thus when it saw him it formed a bond therefore Spike couldn't leave the shop without buying it.

With the phoenix on his shoulder and the bags he had gotten in his hands he apparated away to just outside of the wards. The phoenix which he had yet to get a name squawked at the sensation but stopped once they were inside of the mansion. Spike never stopped moving until he finally reached his bedroom, hardly noting that it along with his adjoining bathroom was clean and fresh.

Sighing to himself, Spike dropped the bags on the floor before softly placing the phoenix down on one of the pillows from his freshly made bed. Blitsy had come to him several times through his shopping trip without needing to be called in order to take things that would need to be put away for him. Not having to put everything away along with his newly recovered heritage made things a bit easier on him. Looking at the crate that Blitsy or some other house elf had placed at the foot of his bed, unopened Spike realized that he needed to feed.

Taking off his cloak and outer robes, Spike laid them on one of the chairs inside the room that he had bought while making his way to the crate. Opening the lid he sighed in a blissfully before taking out one of the bags of blood. Not having it freeze his hand and instead have a room-temperature was wonderful, like all vampires he preferred his blood warm. Bringing the bag to his lips he breathed in deeply before sinking his fangs into the thin plastic. The liquid flowed freely into his mouth and down his throat, making his eyes close in bliss at the taste. The bag was done in only a few minutes but just the one filled him for the next while, after he sucked to make sure he got every last possible drop from the bag.

Removing his fangs from the bag he felt a slight tingling sensation as they withdrew back into his gums to a regular length. Sighing, Spike vanished the bag before looking at the phoenix who was watching him curiously, no fear was being displayed which made Spike feel a bit better. Stripping off the rest of his clothing while he went, Spike slipped under the covers and into bed, allowing the small phoenix to curl up against him while he shut his eyes. It had been a long day and although he loved the feeling of the long-lost sun he wasn't used to it thus his need for rest before the night sky even showed itself.

'_Tomorrow I have so much to do… I think a visit to the Ministry is in order…'_

_Disclaimer:____I do not own Harry Potter or BTVS… damn_

_A/N:_ _Hey I know that some if not all of this is not correct for Spike's life but this is called fan__fiction__ and it will be AU. Honestly I don't know a lot about Spike's life but some things I have to change to fit the story, so I'm sorry if this offends anyone but some things will be changed._

_With love_

_Mari-chan_


	4. Chapter Four

_While sitting in the living room_

_And watching a favorite show_

_I think about how grateful I am_

_And I wonder who else would know_

_Who would know about the troubles_

_That harms the outside world_

_Of the horrible things that happened_

_While the world twirled_

_But here inside my living room_

_I think about those places_

_And thank God that I'm not there_

Chapter Four

Although he knew that eventually the truth would come out about him being back, Spike never really expected it to be so soon. The wards had been set over three hundred years ago and through that time the need for a ward against owl-post hadn't been needed. As the sun was about to rise Spike found himself with a small pile of letters neatly placed (probably by Blitsy) on his desk inside of his room. Getting up from his comfortable bed, although he was careful not to disturb his new pet, Spike didn't bother to put on more than a house-coat before sitting down at his desk.

Looking at the letters he breathed in deeply, it was with great relief that he smelt only parchment and ink with the slightly different smells of wax. Picking up his first letter he used one of his nails to slice it open before taking out the neatly folded parchment. Inside was a letter from what he had heard was the newest newspaper in the Wizarding world. Someone it seemed had tipped them off that he was back, but being who he was they could only write that someone had spotted him and wanted a confirmation, if not given in 24 hours they would assume the informant was lying.

Setting the letter aside, Spike thought about it for a moment before pulling up a new piece of parchment and quill. He re-wrote the letter three times before his hand got used to the quill and he managed to write in his elegant script he was used to. Once finished, Spike folded the letter, placed it in an envelope and sealed with the Malfoy crest. It was with great relief that the Wizarding world hadn't seemed to change anything, but he supposed that their traditions meant a lot to the purebloods and as such they would fight tooth and nail to keep them.

Opening up the next letter, Spike repeated the process of opening and quickly reading through it. With a smirk he took some parchment and wrote a reply, it was an old family that he had once been close with writing to say how happy they were to have the true lord back. His reply was diplomatic, the opposite of what those in Sunnydale would think him of writing. Inside he confirmed that he was back and that he would be willing extend an invitation to a ball he would be hosting once the elves finished their work, also that he would send the date to him in a weeks' time.

The next twenty or so letters held basically the same information, people of old families and even some of the ones he had fought with long ago wishing him good health and extending their happiness that he had returned. Each of the letters got the same reply, that he would be hosting a ball and would send the date in a weeks' time. It would take a lot of effort for him to come back to the way he used to be, and as such he needed at least a week to re-learn everything before he could worry about a ball.

Cracking his fingers, Spike took up another letter this one held the seal for the Ministry. Carefully opening and reading the letter, Spike had to read it twice before he could believe what was actually written. It seemed that the current Minister was telling him that he was not the true Malfoy lord and that this Lucius Malfoy was. Anger consumed him at that moment, although it had been a long time since he had been home every other pureblood knew that no-one else could claim such a title and get away with it.

With the goblins having used the ritual to give him his ring there was no way to fake that, given that it was with only his blood he could get the ring. Growling deeply, Spike didn't notice as his eyes turned burgundy for a moment before it was cleared. While the images of tearing the head off of this Minister Fudge seemed like a good idea for a second he knew that he couldn't do it, he had promised the Powers that he wouldn't. The wheels started to turn in his head while Spike sat there, trying to come up with something to do, it was five minutes later and with an evil smirk that Spike made up his mind… there was more than one way to skin a Minister.

Spike didn't write a response to the Ministers letter instead he was going to do much more. Noticing that he had two other letters to open Spike thought about it for a moment before shaking his head, he knew those crests and neither one would help right now. Standing up from the chair, Spike placed the Ministers letter on top of the ones to be sent out. He had many things to do today or at least to get done as many as possible; one of them was to get plumbing into his home so that he could have a shower or bath.

Going to the crate at the foot of his bed, Spike lifted up the lid and took out a bag of blood. While the warm blood ran down his throat, Spike tried to straighten out all that he had to do before the day was done.

'_One, publicly tell that Minister git off. Two, get books on what the hell wizards do for plumbing now. Three, explain to the house elves that although I'm a vampire I'm not dangerous… well at least to them. Four, read those bloody update papers Griphook gave me. Five, read those last two letters and reply to them. Six, get a book on creature rights or at least something about Vampires and their standing now, magical vampires at that… maybe that should be first before I go to the Ministry…'_

Once he was finished with his meal, Spike once again vanished the bag before starting on his list of things to do. Going to his newly-packed closet Spike picked out a simple black robe with silver lining, hardly noticeable in the silver was the fact that instead of one design there were instead several snakes that made up the seams and etching. Once again the Malfoy crest was in silver on his chest, as the rightful Lord Malfoy all of his robes had the crest put into them.

Running his fingers through his bleached hair, Spike slipped the letters he needed to send into one of his large pockets not wanting his newly hatched phoenix to tire himself out when an owl could get the job done. As he made his way to the main meeting chamber of the house, Spike noticed that some of the portraits along with the halls were showing and clean. A fond smile showed on Spikes face, knowing that the elves had probably been working ever since he gave the order, although most likely non-stop in groups to get it done as fast as possible.

The large French doors easily opened to reveal that although they had been working the house-elves had yet to clean the meeting room. Shrugging his shoulders, Spike called for Blitsy and asked her to get the rest of the house elves for a meeting, promising that those that were asleep would soon be able to return to bed. With a nod, Blitsy popped out of the room only to return with probably fifty or so house elves following her.

Most of the elves looked nervous; a meeting normally meant that the Master was angry about their work. Although the Malfoy family never raised a hand at them, the thought of him being displeased at their work seemed so much harsher than any hand could be. Trying to put the elves at ease, Spike smiled slightly which allowed a couple who knew him from before he left relax.

"I call you here to give you all some information that I hope will not leave this house. As you all can tell I am no longer human, in fact I am a vampire, a walker of the night. I wished to announce this to put you all at ease; I will never feed from any of you or ask you to bring me a meal. Blitsy has full access to my accounts to shop for anything that you need, after all just because I'm not going to eat food doesn't mean that I expect you to starve. In case of an emergency there is a crate at the foot of my bed containing bags of blood, I will be buying my meals as often as possible and will not feed from those unwilling."

At those words it seemed that all of the house-elves relaxed, they could always tell when their master was lying and Spike was speaking only the truth. Although muggle blood there was a huge black market for human blood to be sold that never harmed the human. Nodding slightly to Blitsy, Spike spoke again although this time his voice was a bit softer.

"I am very pleased with how quickly and efficiently you have been working to make this place livable again. Although I expect the main rooms to be clean in a weeks' time, do not wear yourselves out, remember that although we do have punishments a true Malfoy will never harm their elves… we respect you as servants, helpers not slaves and will treat you as such.

You have the right to ask questions, to take breaks when needed, to eat when hungry, drink when thirsty, you have the right to your own sleeping space which is comfortable, to feel safe while under this roof, to have clothing in the form of your uniform, should any of you find that these needs are not met you are to come to me, this home although in my name is yours as well. If there are problems come to me, all I ask in return is your loyalty, your trust and to help me when I ask it of you is this agreeable still?"

With wide smiles and their eyes sparkling in joy the house elves all nodded at once, the Malfoy family was truly one of a kind. They understood that the elves needed to work under a magical being or else die, but they did not abuse such power and instead made them as comfortable as they could be. It hadn't always been like that but a long time ago one Malfoy Head placed the elves under his protection and since then these were the rules that they followed, willingly and happier than any other elf serving their master.

Before Blitsy allowed her master to leave, she ushered him to his room where she brought a potion to him. After explaining that it would lengthen his hair he drank the potion until it was mid-way down his back. The growth of his hair caused his natural brown to come out instead of his bleached blond. Expertly Blitsy brought scissors to his head and cut it evenly until all the blond was gone. Vanishing the loose hair she smiled once done and told him that now he looked like her Master William Malfoy.

By mid-afternoon Spike had managed to get all the information that he needed to walk confidently into the Ministry without worry of being staked. With long and purposeful strides, Spike made his way to the head of the Auror department. Behind the desk was a dark-skinned man, he was wearing somewhat flashy but still stylish robes and had from what Spike could see perfect white teeth. Giving a slight smile at the man, Spike received one in return although the mans' smile was tightly restrained.

"Mister…"With a quick glance at the desk Spike finished his sentence "Shacklebolt I presume?" With a quick nod, Shacklebolt leaned back slightly at the chair and inclined that he was listening. Giving a slight grin at the man, Spike took out the letter that the Minister had sent him and slid it over. "It seems that the Minister is under some kind of delusion and I wish to speak with him if at all possible to deal with the matter that is written on this letter he had sent me. I will do so in public or with Aurors there if he feels uncomfortable and for his protection should he or you feel is necessary."

With slightly wide eyes, Shacklebolt picked up the letter and placed several spells on it, said spells reviled that it was the Minister himself who had written it. With a grim face, Shacklebolt read through the letter, fighting back a huge sigh once it was finished. Looking up at the man who was waiting in front of him, Shacklebolt tried to think of what this could mean for the Wizarding world in its current state. It seemed that this man wanted a formal apology but with Fudge still as Minister that wasn't going to happen. Giving back the letter, Shacklebolt looked up into the strange eyes of the man; there was something off about him.

"I'm sorry Lord Malfoy but in all honesty… just between you and me, the chances of the Minister accepting anything that he doesn't like is slim to none. If I were you I would send this letter to Rita Skeeter from the _Daily Prophet_ to publish and make some copies for a few others as well."

Nodding his head, Spike had thought that perhaps with his title the Auror would understand the predicament that the Minister now found himself in. Bringing a hand to his nose to rub at the bridge, Spike took a moment before looking back at the young man before him. Although he, himself only looked perhaps in his twenties at latest everyone even the elderly wizards were nothing but children to him. With a now hard gaze, Spike had made his choice in his course of action.

"Thank you, Mister Shacklebolt but I must ask you to at least request an appointment with the Minister. Should he change his mind or claim that he had not known about the meeting than it could come down on your head. Please tell him that when he has gotten his mind wrapped around the fact that I _am_ Lord Malfoy than he can speak to me, no longer in privet but in the public. He has three days to comply before I send the letter out since I know he is a busy man, as am I in returning with this world. Anything sinister will not be able to get through my wards."

With a quick nod and slight smile, Spike bid the young man good-day after speaking to him about the ball he would be hosting once his mansion was in order to do so. While walking away, Spike wondered if the young man was a pureblood. Unlike others Spike didn't have a problem with those of any magical blood in them, although he didn't like muggles in the least. Trying to remember he came to the conclusion that there was no Shacklebolt when he had last kept tabs on the social circle so either he was half-blood or simply not one of the old families.

With long strides, Spike made his way to the floo network and clearly spoke "Leaky Cauldron" before throwing the floo-powder in. Ever since the magical world separated from the muggle world there had always been a Leaky Cauldron to separate them. Walking out of the fireplace swiftly, Spike didn't have so much as an ash on him or his clothing, a spell that was sown into all of the finer-made fabrics.

Nodding once to the bartender, Spike tapped the brick wall out back to the entrance of Diagon Ally. Walking swiftly Spike made his way to the local book store in search for something on the plumbing situation. It took him over a half hour before he could find the books he was looking for, after glancing through them however he found out that he would have to get someone else to do the spells for him… he had never been the best at household charms.

With a heavy sigh Spike got out of the store and made his way to the post office, they would have a catalogue for floo and owl orders anywhere in the magical world. After paying for the book and sending out his letters, Spike once again went out into the sunlight, it comforting him in a way he knew he never felt in life.

The owl shop he had passed by before made him wonder about his own need to send regular post. Walking into the store that he knew his mother would have never let him go into as a child, all the mess wasn't worth it to her; Spike looked around.

Simple spells made the smell a lot less than it could have been but the owl shop still had droppings and food pellets all over the place. Sneering slightly at the way the shop was holding, Spike walked around the small store, glaring at the worker as he tried to walk up to him. He had been in the store ten minutes and was about to leave when something caught his eye. In the corner of the store in the back, where it was mostly cages and other owls there was a small raven.

It wasn't tradition to have a raven but being what he was it was one of the few letter-carriers that would be able to stand being near him. The raven was indeed small; enough that it even looked like it hadn't been eating well or at all. It wouldn't be practical for any kind of harsh weather or large packages but his phoenix would be more than capable in those conditions.

Slowly Spike moved his hand towards the raven, letting the raven make his choice. None of the owls or other creatures would have let him touch them but the raven merely looked at his hand. Slowly the bird pressed his beak against Spike's cold skin before cawing softly. Opening his wings, the raven raised itself up enough to perch himself on Spike's shoulder.

Fighting down a grin, Spike looked at the sales clerk that was wide-eyed at the vampire. Raising an eyebrow Spike walked over to the counter before making his demands. In a few moments he had the clerk gathering a few perches made in gold and silver, bird treats, anything and everything that he thought either his raven or phoenix would want before asking the store clerk why he looked surprised.

"That raven… she wouldn't let anyone near her… attacked even me when I was trying to feed her... I thought for sure she would starve herself to death..."

Raising an eyebrow at the clerk, Spike waved his concerns aside before taking out his card that he would be using. Paying for everything including a monthly shipment price for treats and food for his animals, Spike left the store. Turning to his new pet he wondered about what he should name his new raven, now at least he knew that it was a she instead of the male he has assumed.

"If you could make your way home I am sure the elves will treat you to find something to eat and you could get acquainted with my phoenix I suppose… we'll think of a name latter."

Stopping for a moment after watching the raven leave his shoulder to go home, Spike looked around before deciding that putting out the invitations would be next on his list since his raven should eat something before taking off. With long strides Spike practically glided to the nearest owl-post office inside of the alley. Going to the front desk he pulled out his mail that he needed posted and quickly paid for express delivery. Once he got that straightened out, Spike also paid for a rental owl that he would keep for the next few days, explaining that his raven needed to gain some strength before it could make deliveries.

Telling the owl his address it sped off to be looked after by the house elves until he arrived home. It was nine sickles a day for the rental owl but he waved the price aside and paid for two weeks. Striding out into the sun once again, Spike breathed in deeply, it was a wonder how after having to be forced so long into not feeding from humans how he grew a tolerance to the scent of them. While walking to the local housing department to see about updating his plumbing situation Spike couldn't help but think about why it was the Powers That Be sent him here, back to a place he swore he would never return to.

Strangely enough he didn't hate them for it; he had managed to remember his life from before his changing quite well. Fitting back into his role as Lord Malfoy had been easy, even pleasant if he could call it that, and this surprised him. When he was alive he hated the politics of his social standings, although he would never deal with the public of politics pure-bloods had their own political scheme, something that he felt now comfortable with.

After a few hours inside of the housing department and making arrangements for the company to be working on his house non-stop for the next two days Spike wondered why this felt so right. Apparating home Spike was instantly greeted by an excited Blitsy once he reached the doorway. The small house elf informed her master about what exactly she bought and how far the progress was moving on the house-cleaning. Spike was mildly impressed at how much was being done, with this amount of work it wouldn't be long before the rooms he wanted were finished, and the small creature was even thoughtful enough to buy extra food encase he wanted to eat something besides blood or had guests over.

Telling the small house elf about the wizards who would be working on the plumbing, Spike told Blitsy to have someone keep an eye on them at all times and that should they do anything against the rules of the house to force them out before telling him. Nodding her head, Blitsy popped away to give the new orders and make sure they would be followed through. Spike however still had his work cut out for him, who more letters were waiting on his desk to be read and he needed to un-shrink his purchases which were taken from him by Blitsy leaving only one gold and silver perch beside his bed.

Reaching his chambers Spike ran a hand through his hair in frustration before sitting down at his desk. Moving his body slightly he noted to himself that although most of his furniture was still in excellent condition he needed to get a new chair for his desk as it was one of his most-used pieces of furniture.

Upon his desk were a few letters, glancing at the names he figured they were responses to his invitation as well as a formal looking one from the Ministry. Shrugging his shoulders and deciding that he liked procrastinating in opening the two letters he never really wanted to open he opened the invitation responses first. Only three had sent their reply that day, meaning that the rest still had another three days to reply or Spike would have to consider them no longer allies. The Parkinson's, Longbottom, and Zambinis were all willing and able to go to his ball and were only waiting for the date and time.

Placing those letters in one of the drawers in his desk, Spike turned to the letter from the Ministry, deciding that perhaps he should respond the Minister personally instead of just leaving a message with the Auror.

'_Dear Minister Fudge,_

_I can assure you that I am indeed the rightful Lord of the Malfoy line. Perhaps however I will give you a brief history lesson so that you can better understand my standing. When I was a young boy my father who was still married to my mother (an arranged marriage but legal none-the-less) cheated on her with another woman. Although this was frowned upon since he already had me as an heir those in the community accepted it, even my own mother didn't seem to mind instead spending most of her time with me when not having to act like the perfect wife in the public eye._

_My father, Lord Malfoy managed to eventually get his mistress pregnant. Although the town and my mother were willing to accept him sleeping with another the child would always be named a bastard and in no way was a threat to my future. My father died a few years after the bastard was born, now don't think I am for one moment being crude, the child was a bastard and his family will always be one. My mother took over the Malfoy duties until I was seventeen and of age to do it myself with the last few years of her training me, of course._

_For many years I played the part of Lord Malfoy, even so much for a brief amount of time to court a young Rachel Parkinson, who later fell in love with Michel Weasley and soon after got married. My half-brother however when he was seventeen and I twenty found it hard to get work with his status in the world as the bastard of my father. With this in mind and knowing that although he wasn't my brother but only my half-brother I gave to him the right to call himself a Malfoy although my own family would ever hold more power and be the true Lord Malfoy._

_He accepted easily and eagerly, grateful that he wouldn't have to live off the streets. His mother was also so happy that she let go of the envy she once held for my mother and me. I set up an account at Gringotts explaining the situation and moving one tenth of my monetary and investments values to a vault built for the young half-brother. Knowing how greed would take a person I left all my instructions with a goblin I could trust that only I or my own heir could touch anything in my vault, unless it was a house-elf working for me._

_At age twenty-five however my life changed drastically, I had fallen in love with a beauty that would only show herself to me at night. She was my dark princess and I would do anything for her, one night as my mother was in one of our other manors I physically showed my love to her. When I woke up she was beside me but I felt different, changed, my dark princess was indeed a walker of the night, a vampire. She had turned me during the night, but I was too in love and blindly followed her. _

_I have been around far longer than you can comprehend, Minister and before you try to send your Aurors after me you must remember the old rules that are forever unchanging. So long as my victims are willing, so long as I do not kill needlessly and so long as I am not a threat to any world I cannot be touched. I have returned to claim my right as the true Lord Malfoy, Minister and I will not be denied what it mine. Now this is what I want you to do in order to make up for the words you have wrote, I wish you to make a formal apology and place it in the 'Daily Prophet' if the letter you have sent me and a copy of this one will be released to said paper._

_Lord Malfoy, Head of the Malfoy House. '_

_Disclaimer:____I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy the Vampire Slayer… the things I would do to James Masters…_

_A/N:____Thank you for staying with me thus far and I hope to see you soon in the next chapter ^^_

_With love_

_Mari-chan_


	5. Chapter Five

_Remind me again_

_As you walk away_

_Why I still stand here_

_Remind me again_

_As your hand hits hard_

_Why I still stay_

_Remind me again_

_As you sleep around_

_Why I only cry_

_Remind me again_

_As you leave me alone_

_Why I still miss you_

_Remind me again_

_As I wait for your return_

_Why I still love you_

Chapter Five

It took two days for Spike to get through the paperwork that Gringotts had sent him, as he was reinstated as Lord Malfoy he needed to get his affairs in order. Not being in the magical world for three hundred years made the paperwork pile up. Eventually he had to break down and get his phoenix who he had named Allah to carry his paperwork to Gringotts as his raven Princess was still too weak. By the time he had finished his work as well as read through the latest updates that Griphook sent him with he was well on his way to exhaustion.

He couldn't die from it but blood could only keep him active for so long before he had to sleep. On the third day he had been pleased by Blitsy's arrival telling him that the washrooms were up to date and that most of his gathering rooms were finished. Dismissing his elf after thanking her Spike made his way to his privet bathroom and waved his wand to active the bath. The bathroom itself was extravagant, the bathtub more like a small indoor pool while nothing but the best was stalked on the shelves.

Dropping his clothes as he walked to the bath Spike sighed at the hot water ran across his skin. It had been so long since he enjoyed a hot bath, the Scoobies had been on a fixed income and he wasn't going to waste money on things he didn't need like hot water, it wasn't like it would warm his dead skin. Shaking the thought from his head, Spike let himself soak in the bath before using the soaps and washing himself. As the soap slipped off of his skin and left his body clean for a moment Spike wondered why he felt that a part of him was washing away with it.

Getting out of the bath Spike dried himself off manually instead of using magic before wrapping himself in one of his silk bathrobes. Walking into his bedroom he sighed as neither Allah nor Princess was there, Princess he knew was recovering nicely and he expected to see her flying around easily soon enough although he would use the two weeks he had rented the owl for. His seemingly endless pile of letters had been reduced into only a few left, a few more responses to the original invitations he had sent out, what troubled him was one of the things that weren't there, the Weasley crest.

From what he had read his half-brother' line had about a hundred years ago gained control of the Weasley line leaving them nearly knut-less. He had hoped that Rachel would have passed down his story but it seemed that somewhere down the line the Weasley line had forgotten about him. Sadly Spike sat once again on his chair and wrote out his second letter to the Weasley family, hoping that they would respond this time to his invitation to get together for a meal.

After it was finished he thought hard on calling Allah to him and soon enough the phoenix sang softly as he entered the bedroom, easily taking the letter. Hoping that perhaps a "light" creature such as a phoenix being the one to deliver the letter perhaps the Weasleys would respond positively. Leaning back against his chair, Spike summoned a bag of blood and quickly drained the bag of his meal before penning a quick letter to the Minister letting him know that his time was up then wrote to the_ Daily Prophet_and attaching the letters.

Placing the letters on the desk in a small basket labeled "out" they were then magically sent to the house elf in charge of the mail. Stretching, Spike got up and removed his bathrobe before going to his bed and slipping under the covers completely bare, not worried about catching cold he left his hair to dry on its own. Curling slightly on his side, Spike placed his wand under his pillow as a precaution while he let his eyes shut and his dreams take over his mind, thinking about the mate that The Powers had spoken of.

~*~*~ With The Weasleys at Number 12 Grimmauld Place *~*~*~

Arthur Weasley liked to think of himself as a reasonable man, when he had married his love Molly he knew that he would have to tame her anger at times. For all of his life however he had been brought up with the lessons from his own father on how to handle the Weasley name, by then lessons on investments and how to properly manage the family fortune had been changed to how to hate the Malfoys. Still as a child Arthur didn't let his anger consume him like it did his father whenever he saw a Malfoy, even going so far as having to be restrained by Aurors once.

Weasley had once been a name to look at with pride, one that spoke of respect and kindness as they had always been a light family. Now it was nothing more than a laugh, around a hundred years ago the Malfoys had tricked the then Head Weasley into losing the family fortune. Ever since that time the long-standing hate had stood between the Weasley and Malfoy name, even though the Malfoys had more power Arthur was always proud of who he was.

Looking down at the letter that he hadn't shown his wife, Arthur sighed before opening the parchment again. The letter was a mystery to him, once when he was much younger his mother had told him stories about how one day the Real Lord Malfoy would appear and how they would once more have the light shone upon their name. His father had only spoken of his hate even for the Lord Malfoy for not being there, for doing nothing and more importantly for giving his half-brother any power or money at all.

Folding the letter Arthur put it inside of his robes just in time for his wife to come into the kitchen where he was sitting and gently kissed his cheek in greeting. His family had be re-located for their safety although him and Molly often went back home from time to time, making sure that everything was fine in their home. This evening would be an order meeting that he wished not to be a part of, Shacklebolt having been in the order last time as well had told them that indeed the rumors were true Lord Malfoy had returned.

Albus had wanted some time to think by himself about the new development, after all it was no secret that Lucius Malfoy was Voldemort's' right hand. With the last of the rightful Malfoys' back it could either be their God-send or it could be their final downfall. Lord Malfoy would have connections and power over most of the pureblood families, meaning that he could pool his resources and power to either aide or handicap the Dark Lord.

Being a Dark family themselves, it was mostly assumed by most of the order that Lord Malfoy would be taking Lucius' role as favored Death Eater. As the rest of the Order came to take their spots at the table, Arthur pressed his palm against the pocket holding the letter, uncertain if he should share it with the Order or not. It was about family business, but if what the letter said was true… if Lord Malfoy wanted to re-establish old ties then it could mean a chance for him to propose getting rid of Voldemort for good.

Once everyone was there, Arthur looked around at the faces that greeted him, for the first time in a long time he noticed how few they were. Only a handful of good witches and wizards wanting to rid the world of the evil, or in his wife's case wanting to save the children that would no doubt be pulled into this war. Looking at one of the standing figures he wasn't surprised to see Severus with a frown on his face as Albus started to ask for information.

Kingsley had given them wonderful information, which was normally Severus' job… it was his only way to redeem himself Arthur knew. They all had their own purpose but his own wasn't enough anymore… it wasn't enough that he had taken his job and laid it on the line no matter how much his family needed the money. If he were found out by Fudge then he would be fired with no way to get another job, even with the small wages that he got now were a lot better than nothing when he had such a large family to provide for.

Suddenly the letter in his pocket didn't seem like such a burden anymore, he would seek out this Lord Malfoy… would see what he could find out and then reveal the past of his family, the whole past to the Order. Maybe if he worded it right he would even be able to bring The Lord Malfoy to the side of the light. Listening now as Albus tried to get everyone's attention and asked those of a noble line about the ball that they had been invited too Arthur made his choice.

'_I'll write back tomorrow accepting his invitation for tea… maybe, just maybe I can help in this war before any of my children are lost…'_

_Disclaimer:__ Hello everyone I would like to say that I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer… or James Masters…. Dam nit_

_A/N:____Hello I just wanted to say thank you all for saying with me so far… I really do appreciate you putting up with me ^_^_

_Thank you_

_Mari-chan_


	6. Chapter Six

_I wondered at times_

_Why you were there_

_Sitting and rocking_

_In that old wooden chair_

_When asked you smiled_

_And said not to worry_

_That one day sometime_

_You would tell me the story_

_Well now I'm older_

_But the chair doesn't move_

_But Grandma told me_

_Of what you had to do_

_Of why you looked so sad_

_Day in and day out_

_Of why you kept silent_

_While inside you would shout_

Chapter Six

Spike couldn't help but grin as he read the reply that Allah had given him the next day mid-afternoon. It had seemed that the Weasley Head of House wished to meet him, in his own home no less which spoke volumes of his trust. Seeing that the Weasley or Arthur as he signed his name wished to meet with him as soon as possible. Summoning a quill and parchment with a flick of his wand, Spike didn't bother with many formalities and easily gave the Weasley his floo address that he had made sure was in effect in the morning until later on in the evening.

Using his wand to seal the parchment Spike whistled and was pleased when Allah came back to him from where he had been resting and took the message to Arthur. Calling for Blitsy he was pleased to be informed that the only rooms that hadn't been cleaned were the attic and a few bedrooms that hadn't ever been used to his knowledge. Thanking the helpful creature Spike then asked her to be ready with a small meal and tea as he was expecting a guest to show up later on in the day.

For the next few hours Spike eagerly awaited his guest to arrive, it would be the first time in three hundred years that he would be able to see someone from his old timeline. One of his best memories of his human life had been when he had found a friend in Rachael, she had been everything that he had been looking for in a woman; smart, funny, charming, beautiful and knew how to handle her own. Had he been wise enough to think about his future, to think about how he should have lived he would have taken her for his wife.

It was true that there had been no real spark between them; they had more of a bond of family but relationships especially marriages had been built on a lot less back then. Instead he had followed his baser instincts and had found himself without anything of his old life, his mother was killed by his own hand, and his lover had changed him into a monster and even through all the years that they spent together never loved him back.

There would never be a way for him to make up to Rachael anymore as she had died a long time ago, but perhaps now he could at least make it up to those that she left behind. Hearing the slight whistle of the floo being activated, Spike looked down at himself, he was wearing slightly informal robes these were a burgundy with a black trim, his crest sewn on as with all of his robes.

Making his way down the stairs to the small sitting room meant for close friends socialising he waited. Knowing that he could trust Blitsy to choose someone right for the job of showing Arthur to the room, after all Blitsy was his head-elf and as such was only supposed to serve him directly. The elf that she chose would then be assigned to Arthur for the rest of his time inside of the house no matter how many times he came.

*~*~*~*With Arthur Earlier That Day*~*~*~*~

Having decided the night before that he would be traveling to see Lord Malfoy, Arthur was a bit nervous. He had received another letter during the night, thankfully the phoenix (which surprised him) waited for him to be alone before he delivered the letter. It took him a while to get the time away from everyone to write a reply, requesting that they meet as soon as possible.

He didn't believe that he would get a response only a few moments after sending the message that afternoon. It was pleasing to see that Lord Malfoy was willing to share his floo address with him which made things a lot easier. There would be another Order meeting the next day and if all went well he would be able to take Lord Malfoy with him or at least let the others know what would happen.

It took a lot of convincing and false-almost-lies for him to get a few hours to himself, enough time for him to floo to "Malfoy Estate". He only had enough time to put on some newly washed casual robes and as soon as he stopped spinning and stepped out of the floo he regretted not dressing better. The whole place had to have been made of marble, it was beautiful as elegant designed decorated the room that he was in.

Snapping out of his thoughts by the sound of a house elf, Arthur was surprised at how well dressed the elf was. He had on a formal uniform with the Malfoy crest easily visible on his chest; more surprisingly was the fact that the elf was basically glowing in health. After the elf introduced himself as Keblin Arthur easily followed the elf towards where he assumed Lord Malfoy would be waiting.

Arthur didn't really know what he was expecting when the doors opened, but a slim figure standing from his spot on his chair offering a smile wasn't it. Somewhere in his mind, Arthur warned himself that his father had told him about the falsehoods of Malfoys, but surprisingly this one felt… different. The room seemed open, a bright room instead of the dark corridors he had been expecting, light coming in through the windows giving a natural feel.

Bowing his head slight, acknowledging the higher standing bloodline Arthur managed to bring himself out of his shock and remind him what he was here for. _'He asked me to come here for a reason… perhaps I will be able to do the Order some good… maybe my family won't lose so much this war…'_

~*~*~*~*~Back with Spike/normal*~*~*~

Spike couldn't believe how relived he felt when he saw the same features in this Arthur Weasley as he did Rachael. Even if it had been three hundred years the red hair was the same then as it was now, even her nose was still there as far as he could see. Opening his arms slightly Spike gestured to the couch to the side of him, a tray of tea and small biscuits had been laid out in front of the couch.

"Come, sit down I'm sure that we have a lot to talk about, I don't know how much of the truth was passed down from Rachael and I would like to get business done with as quickly as possible I'm sure that we're both busy."

Seeing that Arthur was a bit hesitant but still took a cautious seat on the couch, Spike wondered if maybe nothing had been passed down, that perhaps what his half-brothers' kin had done had ruined his chances with the Weasley family. Clearing his throat Spike tried to lighten the mood that had fallen by smiling slight, which soon turned to pity as he took in the other's man's robes which although clean were nowhere near what they should be. Sighing Spike wondered if he should perhaps take care of that first.

"Mister Weasley, although it has been a while since the title Lord Malfoy has been used for anything that I would approve of from what I have read please remember that the name Malfoy that you know and the power that it really holds as the true bloodline are completely different. Now I'm not sure how much you know… but I will tell you that three hundred years ago I was once best friends with a woman named Rachael who then married into the Weasley line.

The night after I was turned I asked her to remember me as I was, I will ask you not to panic however I would like to tell you that I am a vampire. Now while I was away with my sire making a name for myself in the demon realms I didn't bother to keep ties with my half-brother and that I do regret as I have come to find out what his kin did to the Weasley name and fortune."

Taking a slight break to see Arthur's reaction to the news, Spike was slightly impressed when the human took a sip of his tea and seemed to be trying to keep up with the information. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Spike was surprised when a glass appeared in front of him, bringing the cup to his lips he noticed that it smelt like blood. Taking a small sip he could feel the headache go away as he slowly drank the blood that he was sure Blitsy had gotten him.

"I will of course correct this mistake with my account manager at Gringotts. I should expect that it may take a few days for them to complete the transaction however Griphook has assured me that the money that my half-brother stole from you will be given back plus a reasonable interest rate for the past hundred years. I signed the papers for it yesterday, I would suggest getting in touch with Griphook to handle your accounts on your next trip to Gringotts, and for a goblin he is very honest especially about his work."

Before Spike could say anything else a sound of surprise was heard from Arthur right before the tea smashed onto the ground, thankfully the cup didn't break however there was a slight crack that Spike fixed easily enough. Giving Arthur another few moments to gather his words together, Spike cleaned up the mess that was made and made a mental note to thank Blitsy for getting stronger cups.

"You… you… you're putting the money back? Do you have any idea how much money that would be? We were very well off… no I can't accept it; it's against my pride to take charity! It was your blood that took it in the first place… I mean… well… I just couldn't…"

Seeing that the head of the Weasley family was starting to stumble about in his own thoughts Spike sighed and took another drink of blood before looking at the ginger sitting almost beside him. Giving the man a few more minutes, he sat back and waited for the shock to leave, thankful that he wouldn't have to do this again, and if his family was anything like him that he didn't have to explain to the rest of the Weasley clan.

"It is exactly my point of why I am giving back the money; I am perfectly aware what the amount is, as stated Griphook is honest in his work. Also it is because it was my blood, my mistake that this happened in the first place, this is far from charity it is merely be fixing a mistake made long ago… now would you like to move onto other business?"

Not being able to speak Arthur nodded his head before refilling his cup with some more soothing tea. He would need to think about everything so far for a while before he could say anything, it would take time to sink in after being on the line of poverty for his life to be told that he would have the money taken from his family back again… of course he would have to speak to the goblins in order to make sure that he wasn't being lied to.

"Now that the money issue is dealt with, it has come to my attention that there is something of a struggle going on at the moment between the "dark" and "light". From what my sources have told me, you being the Weasley family has placed itself on the side of the "light" which is led by a wizard named Albus Dumbledore, am I correct?"

Once again only able to nod, this time in order not to give too much away, Arthur waited to see what the other would say about the upcoming war. It was the reason why he was there, why he was sitting beside a vampire, one that his own father had hated more than anything. Being where he was now though he had to disagree with his father, even for a vampire he didn't seem evil.

"I as of now have no say in the war, my political rise will take time and I only know the basics… I am a dark creature; you have to understand that as such I have a certain pull towards your enemy. On the other hand I have more of a personal tie with the kin of Rachael, I would be willing to try speaking with your leader to try and come up with some kind of compromise… but you must remember that I am sure that people won't appreciate me being what I am."

Seeing that Arthur was still in a slight daze, Spike wondered if this was such a good idea after all. Leaving the man alone for a few moments in silence for him to gather his thoughts, Spike decide that perhaps they would have to split up their meeting, after all it had been a while a couple of hours at least at the man did have a family to look after. Standing up he tried to look reassuring to his last chance to help out Rachael's heir.

"Come I'm sure that you need some time to let this all skin in, as I'm sure that your family must be waiting for you. I'll walk you to the floo."

Seeing the other man stand up and follow him, Spike tried to figure out what he would do, what he said was true he was a dark creature and as such he would normally fall under the Dark Lords' allies. From reports that Griphook had managed to get him however he had no desire to even speak to the man-thing that was calling itself the Dark Lord. According to what they could find in the papers of the past three years since his "return to power" he was nothing more than a homicidal maniac determined to do the impossible of ridding the world of muggles (which although he didn't like them he did know a couple that he didn't want being a part of the genocide) and killing a single boy.

The reports had also mentioned statements that were only kept in Gringotts for protection of those that had served under him and passed on. Their wills had spoken of how horrible the pain was under his crucio and how he would torture his servants as if they were muggles themselves. If Spike was sure of one thing it was that he was a Master Vampire and there was no way that he would bow to some human-ish (from what he had seen that could not be called a full human) maniac with a snake complex.

Once he had managed to make his way to the floo with Arthur following behind him, Spike turned around before leaving Arthur alone in the room. He knew that the man would probably want the privacy of saying the name of his location without having anyone overhear him.

"You are always welcome in this home; this extends to your family as well. Take some time if you must however if what I've seen of war is correct things will be moving quickly. Should you wish to bring your side here I merely ask that you allow me a few hours to prepare a meal, take care of you and your own Arthur Weasley I will not allow Rachael's line to die."

Leaving the room, Spike closed the door behind him before taking a look at the clock, it was later than he expected and a part of him felt bad for not feeding his guest. It wasn't time for Arthur to trust him enough yet though, it would take a lot of convincing to fix what his own family had broken, but he was making the right steps he was sure. Seeing Princess fly to him only to land on his shoulder, Spike smiled and pet his raven before making his way to the library.

'_I pray that you take my invitation to heart Arthur Weasley… I will not lower myself to begging for forgiveness. No matter what family you're from…'_

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer… sucks don't it?

A/N:Hello so thank you so much for reading this fic ^^ I have to say that this chapter was a lot longer then what I thought it would be… originally I had that it was the whole Weasley family that spoke with Spike… but I like this way better, after al Molly wouldn't really let her children go with someone she didn't know.

I have to go now, this took a lot longer then I expected

With love

Mari-chan


	7. Chapter Seven

_I can see you there_

_Wondering around_

_You look like you're screaming_

_Without making a sound_

_But nobody else sees_

_Not like I do_

_I can see right through_

_Can see right through you_

_You need me to stop you_

_To keep your sanity_

_But I wonder why you chose_

_Why you chose me_

_That glint in your eyes_

_I've seen it before_

_It means that you won't stop_

_That you need more_

_So as you take your next_

_The victim lies on the floor_

_We storm the place in_

_I opened the door_

_I wonder what you'll do now_

_That you're locked in brick walls_

_But I can see the relief_

_Because I heard your call_

Chapter Seven

The next morning after having Arthur over Spike was pleased to find that the house had finished being cleaned. Deciding to give himself another week, Spike wrote to all of the families that he could think of giving the date of the ball in a week's time. He used Allah and his post owl for most of them however he did give Princess a letter for one that wasn't too far away. Princess nipped softly on his ear, it seemed that she was pleased to have something to do.

After having a relaxing bath, Spike let himself unwind completely by reading up in the library about the history that he missed out on. There were things that he needed to know before putting on a ball, who married into what line, who was holding ties in the ministry, and also which families supported what side of the war. It was all there in black and white, although one had to sometimes look deeper to find out the answers to his last question.

Having been feeding regularly for the past few days Spike found himself not hungry at all and merely waiting for a response once again from Arthur Weasley. He was no fool, although he had lived the life of being one he never let anyone see how he really was, how he could control his life. Peaches had always been the alpha in any relationship except for with the slayer… Dru hadn't been stable enough for him to show her, and Buffy had only wanted to control _him_.

Now that he was back to how he was born to be, he found the transition a lot easier then he first assumed. Perhaps it was because this was his home world, maybe because this was in times of war, hell it could be just because he was pissed at the ministry and Lucius Malfoy. Whatever the reason Spike did find himself changing to how he was long before his thirst for blood and need to be as powerful as his sire.

Hearing the distinctive pop of Blitsy beside him, Spike was slightly surprised that she was holding an envelope. Taking it from her, he opened to read the parchment inside, it was a slight surprise however he could only smirk, things would be going according to plan.

'_Dear Lord Malfoy,_

_I can only apologize for my departure last night and inability of taking your information easily. I have spoken to Gringotts and I am ashamed to say that I could only gape as my new account balance was shown to be, and what it would be in two days' time once they finished the transaction. My son works in Gringotts as a curse breaker and spoke highly of Griphook who had managed the Weasley account long ago, apparently you made quite the scene._

_William, although he prefers Bill was shocked to find that Griphook was one again reinstated as a high goblin. Tonight there will be a meeting of The Order, a group of followers that are fighting against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I have sent a separate letter to Albus Dumbledore explaining that you would like to speak with him. He has agreed that it would probably be best if you attend an Order meeting, to see how we work._

_Dumbledore suggested that we all meet at your mansion should that be agreeable with you, he wishes to have all of those that he trusts most there. One of his most trusted happens to be a werewolf, should that cause a problem for you we wish to let you know in advance that he has agreed to be on his best behavior. Honestly I still don't know what I should be thinking now, you were for the better part nothing but a legend for my family since you left._

_From past experiences I have to suspect your generosity, no matter how much I wish to believe what my grandfather told me of the true Lord Malfoy, my father made some valid points. I will however give you the benefit of the doubt, if what my bloodline has passed down through the ages is true, and then you really do mean me and mine no harm. This meeting will not have my children there and I wish to keep as much as our history as possible away from my wife until I know if I can trust you._

_Arthur Weasley_

_Head of the Weasley house'_

Penning a quick reply to confirm that those that wished to come over were welcome, Spike sighed. He had offered to have the meeting that night or at the earliest convince of the head of the organization, Albus Dumbledore. Having a werewolf there would test how much he was willing to put into this; after all they quite frankly stank. It was their smell more than their species that made vampires dislike the werewolf population, sure in the light of the full moon they were a threat but in their human form they were harmless.

It was only a myth that a bite from a werewolf would kill/harm a vampire and vice-versa. In fact it didn't hurt any more than a bite from a normal wolf would and neither could turn or infect the other, they were immune to each other. Spike was sure that he would be able to make accommodations for the wolf, and promptly gave orders to Blitsy to gather non-silverware for when his company showed up.

With nothing pressing to do for the day, Spike found himself in the library and reading. The Scoobies would have been shocked to know that he preferred to spend his time reading when he wasn't hunting, but he had been trying to get rid of his history then. It did cause him to wonder if things between him and Buffy would have worked out better if he had been himself. It probably wouldn't have mattered in the end, he still would have died and he was sure she still wouldn't have been able to love him… but could they have had a relationship instead of the mess it had been?

Could he have changed things that happened? Could he have found another way of helping with his own magic? Willow was by far the most powerful witch that he had ever met, but she hadn't ever been trained. Her magic was raw power and was focused completely from the Earth, able to be used, yes but without a channel it had nearly destroyed her. If he had embraced who he was before he was turned, if he had made himself remember maybe she would have been fine instead of being like an addict waiting for her next hit.

There were other things as well, hell even his chip might have been avoided if he would have gone back to England and research it. Why didn't he? Why didn't he at least use magic to help himself, hell he could have used it even for when he was evil? The chosen one the slayer may be but she was still human and he could have easily killed her with two words, but he chose to cast it all aside.

'_Why didn't I ever__choose__to look back? The Powers had to force me to come back after my second death… they made me face this world again. I can't hate them for it though, it was so easy to come back here, to come back to where I was raised, so why didn't I before? If I didn't know any better I would have thought that I had been turned into a muggle, obliviated about my own home world.'_

Taking a drink of the blood mixed with wine that he had been given upon entering the library, Spike decided to think about things later. A few hours later after he was just about done of the book he was reading called _'Still technically legal charms and loopholes in the law'_ a house elf passed him a letter. Taking the letter, Spike put his book down and looked at the crest of the Dumbledore line. Opening the letter he was surprised that he got a reply so fast from the headmaster of Hogwarts, after all running a side of war would keep one very busy.

'_Dear Lord Malfoy,_

_It is indeed a great honor to be writing to you personally. Arthur gave me a copy of your most recent letter to him and I am delighted to be invited into the most ancient and noble house of Malfoy. Being Headmaster I of course have access to all records of those who attended Hogwarts from the beginning of her days. I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of looking up your file, it seems that you were a bright young lad in your youth, Lord Malfoy._

_I also did a bit of farther research since learning about your return to find that it wasn't until after you disappeared that a young Marvus Malfoy was entered into Hogwarts. Of course back then Hogwarts was a very expensive place of learning, it seems that your half-brother believed that should you no longer be there that he would be the rightful Malfoy although we both know this to be untrue. He tried many times to claim his spot on the Hogwarts governors of education however it wasn't until the past few decades that the current Mister Malfoy had been successful._

_I am telling you this because Mister Malfoy has been making some choices and bribing those on the board on things that I consider irrational. So far nothing drastic has been done, but there will come a time I am sure when he will vote for things that I would rather not have young children exposed to. As Lord of the Malfoy line you could, should you wish it request that he back down from his position and take it for your own._

_I write to you about this instead of requesting it at the meeting because this is not official Order business. Should you accept after our meeting I would be glad to receive your owl. On to Order business for now, originally there was a meeting planned for 12 o'clock however as we are moving to your home for this meeting I have changed it to 5 o'clock. I hope that will give you enough time to prepare a room for us to all meet in, thank you once again for your generosity._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Percival Wilfred Brian Dumbledore_

_Head of the Order of the Phoenix_

Spike was pleased that he would be receiving company that night and set the elves to prepare a meal for the group. Not having exact numbers he asked them to prepare for twenty and to make sure there was enough just in case there was more. The dining room was given another clean, the dishes and utensils that Blitsy had picked up were shinned and polished. The elves were careful to make sure that there was nothing silver in the rooms that he would be in, which caused them to remove a lot of his decorations, in curtsy for the werewolf.

Come four, Spike had been bathed and changed into one of his new set of robes, this set was made for a more formal affair but he supposed it would do. Making sure that he was full, Spike was careful to drink before his guests arrived, it would be the first time in a while for greeting a werewolf. Allah had taken to perching on his shoulder since he got his robes on for the night, cooing every once in a while. Princess was outside, getting her wings strong enough to carry parcels back and forth once again.

At five sharp Spike could feel the change in the wards to someone coming in his home through floo. Sitting back in his spot he waited for the elves to greet his guests and to bring them to the sitting room for some tea before supper. Standing up when the doors were open, Spike was pleased to see that it was an old man who was followed by Arthur. Nodding to Arthur, Spike strolled to who he assumed was Albus Dumbledore.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, I must say that I have done a bit of my own research and have found that you are quite the wizard. I am sure that you would like to have the meeting however I must insist on you and yours having a meal to celebrate the coming negotiations beforehand. There had been tea made and the elves are instructed to serve those inside the house should you need something while we wait for everyone to gather."

Albus seemed to have a twinkle in his eye while he accepted on behalf of the Order and sat down beside Arthur on one of the couches. Soon to follow was a red-headed woman along with two red-headed men who he assumed were her sons. Another woman came as well although her hair was black when she entered it was changed to purple while she moved to the others. A man with a fake eye and leg came next, followed by a dark-skinned man who he had seen before… Shacklebolt.

By the time everyone had gathered it was quarter past five, Albus was kind enough to introduce everyone to him while they entered. Spike however knew that he would have a hard time with some of their names, but it was the werewolf's name that caught his attention… Lupin for a werewolf. The man was nice however, his eyes were suspicious and he was weary but he didn't attack him even though it was close to the full moon and managed to look docile for the creature that he was.

Supper had gone wonderfully, if Spike did say so himself, conversation staid on natural ground. Spike had managed to find out a lot more about his company, that the one that could trip over air was in fact an auror; the one with the fake eye was her supervisor. The werewolf was between jobs, although it wasn't said his patched clothes and demeanor was one who was still struggling in society. There was no love lost between any vampire and a werewolf however given his history, Spike knew what it was like to not know where you would next have a roof over your head.

Spike was informed that there were others however they would be unable to make it until he agreed to be part of the Order. Not wanting to make his choice right away, Spike wondered who else would be there… a spy at least who they did not want to reveal to him. As they retired to his meeting/sitting room Spike wondered how this would all end up, how they would present themselves to him. There was hesitation, he could see and smell that they were all slightly afraid of him which both empowered and saddened him.

Taking his spot on his chair, Spike watched as the others sat down around the room, making themselves comfortable. Once they were all situated, Spike waited and watched for someone to begin the conversation. He was not disappointed when it was Albus that started the conversation, he had been expecting him as head of the Order to try to bribe him but was pleasantly surprised when he didn't.

"Thank you very much for your generosity and kindness in allowing us to hold our meeting here this night. Now I won't bother beating around the bush as the muggles say; instead I plan on just formally asking you… Would you, William Malfoy wish to join the Order of the Phoenix? Now I'm sure there are a few questions you might have but let me give you an overview first. The Order of the Phoenix was created back when Voldemort first rose to power and has been activated once again upon his return.

Our main goal is to vanquish the evil that is Voldemort; some of us are here because of our heritage while others because we know that it is right. Through the first war there wasn't a person in the order that was affected in some way, that didn't lose someone that they considered close. This will not be an easy task, but we all stand together and use our own individual talents to help those in the group, and in doing so help the Wizarding world."

Spike was very careful in his wording; it wouldn't do to isolate those that were in his house. Sure they weren't all that powerful politically but he didn't know what they would do to a harsh rejection. They didn't mention anything that he wanted to know about though, as he could care less about Voldemort. With his power there was no way that he could go through the war without being brought into it somehow but he didn't have any personal preference.

"And what would I gain from this? I have no vendetta against this Voldemort; he rose to power while I was away from this world. If you haven't noticed I'm a vampire and the magical laws are pretty lenient against my kind. Really there is nothing that I believe either you or this Dark Lord could really offer me."

Giving everyone a moment to think about his words, Spike was surprised when Allah and Princess flew into the room together. Staying where he was, Spike held out his arm and Princess calmly landed on his arm while Allah perched on his shoulder. Seeing no letter Spike wondered why they would come to him now, when he had people with him… it was then that he thought of what he could ask for.

"You wish to use my power, my influence… I can understand that. But I'm only here because of The Powers… as such I wish to have help in my own personal task. I unlike the rest of my kind have been granted a mate, I don't know who they are yet… but I want leniency when I find him."

Spike knew from his reading that although not normally advertised that it wasn't exactly outlawed for same-sex couples in the magical world. The problem was that same-sex couples were always _after_ an heir was born to the old families. In order to be "accepted" in society as being homosexual you had to make sure that your line would continue beforehand. There was some research being done in the potions field about having male-pregnancies but it wasn't going anywhere fast.

Although not worried about what the public would think of him taking a male-lover he fully intended on bonding in every way to his mate. As of yet it was still outlawed for two wizards or witches to marry unless there was a legitimate heir. The problem was that he _couldn't_ have an heir, unless of course he turned someone and then blond-bonded to them. After the disaster of his own turning, Spike was not going to make another vampire, unless of course his mate would die of a natural life without the turning.

Looking back at the others, Spike noticed that none of them seemed disgusted by his mention of a male-mate. In fact the werewolf himself seemed slightly impressed, as if his admitting his predicament made him worthier. Albus looked at him, and Spike could feel the sensation of someone trying to get into his thoughts but managed to block him out before he could get anything. After a moment or two of silence, Albus held out his hand to the vampire with a twinkle in his eye.

"Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix, Lord Malfoy."

Giving his own smile, Spike shook hands with Albus and nodded his head to Arthur, at least now he wouldn't have to worry about ridicule. He had chosen to go with the Light as soon as he knew that the Weasleys were deeply involved… he would protect their clan after all, he owed it to their ancestor. As they shook Allah sang softly in agreement and Princess nipped affection ally at his ear.

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer…. If I did then Spike would never wear clothes …yummy

A/N: So this is Seventh chapter… This took me a while longer then I thought it would to write, although I must say that this is a lot better than the original chapter 7 that I had before I lost the files.

With love

Mari-chan


	8. Chapter Eight

_I've been looking around here_

_At what you left behind_

_And I found myself feeling_

_Out of my mind_

_And then it hits me_

_That I've been so blind_

_I don't need you anymore_

_You held me behind_

Chapter Eight

It had been three days since Spike had agreed to be a part of the Order of the Phoenix. During those three days he had completed the preparations needed for the ball that he was hosting. The list of invited guests was larger than he first thought it would be; now with his being in the Order he felt that he could no longer just invite those of pure blood. It had taken him a while to find out what other names he should invite but by the end all pure bloods that he remembered as well as the half-bloods what had broken off from the old families were invited.

By the end of his list he had invited a large number from both the light and dark side of the war. Spike hesitated slightly before sealing the last envelope and sending it off with Allah to take to the Malfoy heir. Although he had no love for the current Mister Malfoy he did not want to shut out the whole family if the son could be reasoned with. A bundle of separate letters was sent to the Order, all with an invitation to visit is manor after the ball for a separate gathering. Along with the Weasley invitations were a set of formal robes picked out for each member of the family including the children.

Some of the other Order members also received robes with their invitations, including the werewolf as there would be purebloods there that would only use the chance to improve their own image. Rubbing the back of his neck, Spike was pleased when Princess flew into the room and rubbed her head against the side of his face lightly. Reaching up to pet her Spike got up from his chair and made his way to the library. The initiation of his membership to the Order unlike most other members, he was sure included a contract, one he had yet to sign.

Although he had no problems signing a muggle contract a magical one, if broken would steal away his magic... making him a muggle. If he was human Spike was sure that a broken contract would cause him to die, but being a vampire, the undead already did have its advantages. The problem wasn't the wording of the contract; however the feeling behind the Headmasters portion kept him hesitant. Magical contracts although they were signed based on the wording felt more of the person's intentions then their actual meaning. If it said that he could not eat the unwilling, even though it was not written it also could mean that he could not Confundus a muggle into letting themselves being eaten either.

As the way that magical contracts were it made it harder to find loopholes. The problem that was holding Spike back was the way that his could be interpreted, on one of the lines it stated that he was to be forgiven for who his mate would be... but nowhere in it did it mention bonding. Like most magical creatures once Spike found his mate he would have only a limited amount of time before the bonding must take place. For each creature the time given was different, some didn't have to bond at all while others did upon sight of their mate.

Vampires who normally didn't have a chosen mate never documented how long they would have to complete the bond. For all creatures that had to complete the bond however there was a consequence if the bond was not consummated, vampires were not the exception. Without completing the bond with their mate a vampire would eventually drift into a hibernated sleep that would take their mind into a lost vortex of nothing until eventually with lack of blood they would starve to non-existence.

Having no intentions of allowing himself to fade away to nothing if he could help it, Spike had sent a separate request to have Albus re-negotiate the contract the day before the ball. Bringing the family Grimoire to his sitting spot Spike started to read the book before him, taking in the knowledge of his ancestors. If he was to have to give up his place in the Order he would rather it be before he threw the ball with Dark families attending. It would do well for him to keep up relations on both sides if possible, easier to do business.

Blitsy popped in after a few hours of reading to give him a glass of blood which Spike easily drank while reading the book. Inside of the Grimoire was the entire magical history of his family, every spell, every tradition, every single thing that the Head of Household thought future generations would need to know to uphold the Malfoy name. As a small child his father would read select passages from the Grimoire, making him into who he was supposed to be as a Malfoy heir. Now that he was the last of the Malfoy line, Spike felt it his duty to keep as much as the history as he could alive.

Reading well into the night, Spike managed to get through several generations, as some only placed their name and the name of their children while a few placed everything they knew. Closing the book Spike rubbed the bridge of his nose while trying looking down at the book, in one of the pages that he had been reading they had mentioned having squib that had been thrown out of the family. Looking back at the bookshelf then back at the book, Spike waved his wand and made the book go back to its secure place before getting up from his spot.

Going up the stairs, Spike stripped off his clothing while making his way to his bed, crawling in under the sheets. As he settled down for sleep Spike couldn't manage to get that last page out of his mind, the name seemed so familiar but he couldn't remember where he had seen it before. Closing his eyes, Spike managed to go to sleep while pushing the name to the back of his mind.

'I am only writing to include the banishment of my daughter, after an examination it has been proven what I feared would happen. My daughter has been born without magic, and will be banished from this family, from the magical community. I have sent the child with a servant to place at a home for children with only a blanket and some money along with a name. I have named her Marie Riddle and I pray that she will live a happy life... as my family and I will act as if she had never existed.'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Page Break *~*~*~*~*~*

The day before the ball had Spike waiting for Albus in his sitting room once again. With tea waiting for the older-looking man for when he came to make up a contract that they both would be satisfied with. After only ten minutes Spike was happy to note that Missy one of his house elves lead the white-haired man to the sitting room. Albus took the chair slightly to the left of his own and smiled in greeting while Spike filled both of their cups with tea. Both parties spoke about unimportant things until half of each glass was drunk, at which time Spike set down his cup.

"What is it in the contract that you do not agree with?" the question was spoken directly and lacked the hesitation that Spike had expected. Pointing at a particular line in the contract that had been sitting out on the table for the meeting he answered.

"I do agree with my end of the contract, not to feed from those unwilling, only by their own will. I also agree to use my power and influence to help the Order in the current war within reasonable means... what I find that is not addressed is certain aspects to my own terms. I see nothing mentioning the claiming of my mate, whoever they are. It also doesn't mention that it will be accepted for whatever race, species, age, gender or political or magical background my mate may be. I may become a part of the Order but my mate may be the Dark Lord himself, I need to know that my magic will not vanish should I put him over the Order, as such I would like a clause that my loyalty to my mate will outweigh my loyalty to The Order."

Before Albus was able to speak, Spike held up his hand to continue. "I don't expect this for free, far from it. I know that this may seem like an unreasonable request as we do not know who my mate may be, but I will add a clause for my own responsibilities as well. Should you agree to my terms I will also agree that I will add other vampires to your side as I have gathered many allies these past three hundred years. Along with me you also get those that follow under me which would increase your chances of winning this war."

It wasn't a sure thing, he knew that but Spike hoped that the chance of having more of his kind fighting for the Light would help raise his odds in what he wanted in the contract. For a few moments Albus didn't answer instead he looked at the contract before nodding and waving his wand to change the words. Passing the parchment to Spike, Albus sat back and waited for the other to read the terms and agreements that had been added.

Reading through the contract Spike easily noticed that there was another term that Albus wanted. After a few moments of considering the choice Spike looked at the old man and saw that there was little chance of the other budging any more then he already had. Picking up a blood quill that he had set aside of this purpose Spike signed his name before passing the parchment to Albus who also signed it. As with a magical contract there was no need for a third part witness so long as at least one of the parties was a Head of Household.

Making his excuses, Albus made his way out of the manor and back to his own duties while Spike staid in his chair and thought. He wasn't sure how he felt about the final agreement, that he would be forced to teach a school full of children. It was true that he was qualified, a bit over-qualified for Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he had never taught children before. He had seen and helped with the new Slayers but this would be different, some of the children would be trained by other people and he didn't know what he should be teaching exactly.

Sighing, Spike ran his hand through his hair before getting up to get the books that he would need to look through. He knew most of the big-baddies that were out there, heck he was one... but most of the creatures that he knew wouldn't work for first-year students and even some seventh-year would have trouble stomaching what he had seen.

Knowing that he would be up most of the night trying to get his affairs in order for both the ball tomorrow as well as needing to plan how he would teach children, Spike closed his eyes. Thinking back to all the times that he looked on has some of the Scoobies had to look up their own research for whatever wanted to end the human race that week. The memory didn't bring back as much of a sting as it had before, although he was no longer with the slayer, somehow knowing that there was someone out there for him helped.

Opening his eyes, Spike groaned and decided that he should be looking to what the newest updates have been for the magical world. _'I just pray that this is worth it… that he is worth siding with the side of magic that has wanted to kill my kind since the beginning of time…'_

Disclaimer:I do not own Spike… nor Buffy The Vampire Slayer… or Harry Potter… and damnit can't I just keep Severus?

A/N: I really am sorry about this taking so long… but at least it's here now, hope you enjoyed it!

With love**  
**Mari-chan


	9. Chapter Nine

_I wonder if someone else__  
__Could have been chosen__  
__To replace you_

_If we had not met then__  
__If someone else came first__  
__Would they do?_

_But then you give me__  
__A simple smile__  
__And my world stops_

_And I know then__  
__Nobody else__  
__Would fit the spot_

Chapter nine

Spike looked at his reflection once again in the mirror, taking in his appearance. The robes that he had speciality designed for the ball had made it that morning and he was more than satisfied with how they fell on him. Not so much as wrinkle marred his looks in his reflection; his hair was down loosely in its natural brown which made its way down to his past his shoulders. The robes were made of the finest fabric that flowed behind him as he walked making him seem more elegant. He was expecting to have his guests arrive in only an hour which made him nervous; the whole day he had spent making sure that everything was perfect. The elves had outdone themselves, changing his mansion into a palace with their decorations and preparations.

Walking from his room, Spike made his way down to the floo room to great his guests. The floo was specifically set up so that he would hear a small dingle in his mind when someone showed up to his house. This would continue for the first hour of his guests arrive at which time he would have them move from the gathering room to the ball room. Inside of the gathering or waiting room were a couple sofas and chairs for those who wished to sit as they socialised. There were small finger foods and a light wine to complement the small amount of food avalible.

The house elves were briefed earlier that day on the rules that he would enforce, which changed slightly. Normally should one of his guests mistreat his help then the elves were given permission to vanish the witch or wizard from the house before coming to him and telling him of the transgression. For this night however as there were several political people being invited they were to come to him first. Some of the younger elves had been slightly nervous about the change of rules however they were told that at 12 o'clock the next afternoon the rules changed back.

A buffet had been made as well which was being kept warm with magic in the ball room, along with a desert table. Unsure about how old the current age was for drinking, Spike had charmed the wine to stop pouring once the person became intoxicated, he also supplied the common "pumpkin juice". Spike had been careful in the decorations of the ball room; nothing was supporting the light or dark in colors, nothing red or green. None except of those in the Order knew that he had chosen which side he would be fighting for in this war, as of now he didn't know what side his mate was on after all.

Blitsy came before him then, explaining that the first of his guests have arrived for the ball. Making haste to the waiting room, Spike almost signed in relief when he noticed that it was Albus, at least he knew where the other man stood. Moving over to the man, Spike smiled in greeting before saying anything. Albus had chosen a glass of juice instead of the wine, Spike noticed and for some reason he wasn't surprised.

"I am glad that you could make it here tonight, Albus. Do you know if others from our previous meeting will be able to attend as well? I wasn't sure if I managed to guess all of them in my invitations."

Albus, Spike noticed had a certain twinkle in his eyes as he listened and was greeted. The fact that the old man was wearing bright red robes didn't bother Spike so much as the twinkle did, almost as if he knew something that Spike didn't. Nodding his head slightly, Albus mentioned that most of the members were able to make it to the ball having gotten an invitation. The sound of someone else arriving cut their conversation short as Spike for the next hour greeted people he did not know into his home.

Most of those invited were names that he remembered; old families that he was pleased had managed to keep their magic and didn't die out. When they were all moved to the ball room, he could automatically see that he would have his work cut out for him. As if pulled most of the guests sectioned off into different parties, those of a dark history that he knew of were with other suspected dark witches and wizards while the light stayed together as well.

It wasn't a shock to see everyone section off, but after his years of being 'alive' Spike knew better than anyone that this would only cause conflict. So long as the world was only divided into black and white there would always be war… he was living proof of that. Sighing slightly, Spike was slightly surprised that a couple of the witches and wizards that had different creature blood changed sides.

The werewolf that he had met earlier was talking and laughing with the light humans, while someone with Veela blood was socializing with a dark family. Shaking his head slightly, for a moment Spike thought that perhaps this could work, eventually perhaps humans may change their ways. Turning his attention back to the current conversation that he was engaged in, he was forced to pay closer attention at the topic.

"And the new laws that they are talking about… I mean giving werewolves rites so that they can work where they wish! What of the children? It's all because of Dumbledore, ever since he let that wolf teach at Hogwarts the ministry has been questioning their place."

"It won't matter once the Dark Lord comes into power. He'll wipe out all of the tainted blood to make way for a new age."

It was after the last person spoke that the group seemed to notice his presence. Smirking slightly, Spike wondered if they even realized what exactly he was. Taking a sip of his glass which had wine mixed with blood inside of it, Spike tried to think about how to approach the topic.

"In general my kind tends to not get along with wolves, but I guess I should be concerned should this Dark Lord not ally himself with tainted blood then I suppose there is no place there for myself. It would be a shame that the Lord of the most noble and ancient house of Malfoy not be appreciated. Take from this what you will, but it would do well for those of the dark to remember that part of my power is of my current species… the Light Lord has after all already approached me with an offer."

Before any of the wizards could speak, Spike made his way over to the werewolf they had been speaking of. He saw that Remus was surprised with his approach although he didn't turn away. Taking another sip of his 'wine' he could tell from the look on the werewolf's face that he knew what he was drinking. Once they were close enough together, Spike nodded his head in greeting although it was Remus who spoke first.

"I must thank you; to tell you the truth I wasn't expecting an invitation due to my… illness. I feel I must also thank you for the robes you had sent to me, although initially I was going to refuse them, I was informed by Albus that I would only be insulting you. So I want to thank you again, for both the robes and the invitation…"

Noticing a slight blush on the other's face, Spike wondered if the werewolf was normally so informal. Sniffing lightly, Spike noticed that the normally too-musky smell that was with most werewolves wasn't coming from this one. Smelling again he noticed that the scent was almost, pleasant. Although he had seen Remus before there was a slight change in scent, enough to make him want to keep breathing it in. Curious about the change in scent, Spike took a step closer to the man, enough to make the other man blush a bit deeper and lean back slightly.

"You're scent… it has changed since the last time we met…"

What seemed to be relief appeared on the others' face at the explanation. For a moment Spike felt the urge to get closer to the scent, to breath in as much as possible. Clearing his throat he took a step back as not to give into the urge with so many people watching his every move. Without saying a word, Spike moved away from the temptation and made his way to circle the room.

Making his way from person to person, Spike kept his glass in hand which he drank to keep his control. Some of the people that showed up had on so many different scents it made him sick. There was one woman who smells of decaying flesh but only seemed to be in her forties, a scent normally reserved for the elderly and those in captivity. The woman had smiled at him and hand even gone so far as to touch his arm, but the feel of her hand was wrong; it had taken him a few moments to diagnose her as using a glamor.

Spike moved from person to person throughout the ball, even when the music started others began to dance he didn't stay in one spot for long. Remus still watched him from time to time, and it took a while for Spike to block out the scent. A couple others had the same scent on them, although fainter. There was a woman, one of the Weasley children who had the scent strongest. When Spike had gotten close to her, his eyes had changed briefly and it took all the ability he had not to allow his teeth to lengthen.

Near the end of the night, when most of the guests had started to leave Spike saw that Albus, one of the few guests who had been avoiding him all night smiled a knowing smile at him. There was a slight hesitation to the man; however after saying farewell to another guess, Spike went to turn only to find the man gone from his home. The last to leave were the Weasley's who said their goodbyes personally and who all had the scent and Remus.

Eventually it was only Remus and he left in the ball room, the music had stopped and the elves were slowly picking up and cleaning the room. Spike could only look at the wolf; after all of the Weasley's having the same scent on them the pull was too much. With his eyes changed completely red Spike moved closer to the werewolf who didn't seem surprised at having a vampire approach him. Within a matter of seconds Spike was in front of the other man, close enough to let the scent take over his senses.

Closing his eyes, Spike moved his hands and used them to pull the other man against his body. Remus stiffened in his arms, as if just now realizing what was happening. Knowing that a werewolf was a lot more durable than a human, Spike held tightly before burring his face in the mans' neck. The scent was over-powering his mind, although he did have enough sense not to bite at the wolf. There were no words spoken as Spike kissed and licked at the others' neck, though he did hear a small moan.

Remus for his part didn't know what to do; he knew that if he didn't do something soon he would end up in bed with the other man. Remus had no problems with a male sexual partner but there was something else driving the vampire. Trying to think things through was hard as the vampire kept licking and kissing his neck _just so_. Bringing his arm up to push at the vampire Remus soon found himself moving his head to give better access to Spike.

Spike saw the act of submission and grinned as his hands let go of Remus' arms to wrap around the man. Placing one of his hands at the werewolf's head he placed the other at the small of his back. Moving his mouth to the side of the man's face, Spike kissed to his ear and took the lobe into his mouth causing Remus to moan. As Remus moaned he used one of his hands to press against Spike's back. Once Spike licked around his ear, Remus had a moment of clarity and used his strength as a werewolf to push the other man away.

Spike being a vampire was able to hold onto Remus enough to keep the other's body close to his own. At this point his mind was too far gone in lust of both his body's need to mate and the need to claim the scent. Growling low in his throat, Spike held Remus' face in his hands as he kissed the man's mouth. For the first few moments Remus fought against the kiss until eventually he melted into it. Spike licked at the werewolf's' lips for entrance which was granted so he could taste the other's mouth. Not wanting the other to pull away as he explored his mouth, Spike held his head in place while his other hand moved to lightly rub and pat at his ass.

The action caused Remus to gasp around the kiss, which was soon followed by a moan as Spike rubbed his tongue against Remus. Growing impatient with their clothes, Spike slipped the hand that had been rubbing the wolfs ass up under the back of his shirt. The feel of another's warm body caused Spike to moan and break the kiss. Returning his mouth to Remus' neck he nipped and sucked on the skin presented to him. Using both hands now, Spike managed to pull and tug at the outer robed to get off the first layer leaving Remus in his trousers and silk shirt that had been provided.

Remus not wanting to be the only one losing clothing now that he has resigned himself to what would happen, used his time that he could think to get Spike's outer robe off and shirt undone. The buttons took him a while to do as he didn't want to ruin the expensive fabric, however one by one they eventually gave way. Managing to get Spike to stop only briefly in his assault on his person, Remus took that moment to move back enough to look at the other man. The chest before him was perfect, there were scars, even a vampire couldn't heal perfectly but they only added to his character.

Seeing that Remus wasn't trying to stop him again, Spike allowed the man to look at him. Spike knew that he was good-looking; in fact he flaunted it many times in his life and used it to his advantage while hunting. Seeing the look that Remus was giving him caused his dick to twitch in anticipation. Smirking which caused Remus to see one of his fangs, letting him know how close to the edge he was, Spike shrugged himself out of his shirt. Now in only his trousers and shoes he easily stepped out of his shoes.

Still keeping a slight distance between their bodies, Spike ran his hands along the top of Remus trousers as he pulled the shirt out. Bit by bit he managed to get the shirt lose on the man before, in an instant he pulled the fabric over the other's head. Once the offending shirt was on the floor with the other clothes, Spike took in the sight before him.

He had been told of the hard transformation of those that did not accept the wolf, and from the scars along Remus' body it was easy to tell he hated the wolf in him. Although he didn't particularly care about the other man, no matter how much he wanted to physically claim him, the thought made Spike hesitate slightly. Being a creature himself, he knew how hard it was to accept the more demonic side of yourself… but once one did they were all that much stronger for it.

Seeing that Remus was looking at him with the sexiest blush on his face, Spike took a hand and lightly ran it over the other's chest. Placing a slight pressure he managed to get the man to back onto one of the tables that had previously held food.

***** For the unedited version please see my adultfanfiction account with the same username crownoyami *****

Remus for his part was trying to catch his breath again, he allowed Spike to move his body. Not having much, if any energy in his body Remus used what little bit that he had to turn his body to lean against Spike. His back was pressed against the other man's chest and although he knew that they would need to talk, he honestly didn't have the energy.

Taking the hint, Spike moved around the bed to get the covers before he pulled them over the two of them. Waving his hand he managed to use another spell he perfected, a cleaning charm. Wrapping an arm around Remus, Spike held the man to him while he closed his eyes.

"We can talk in a while…"

Feeling Remus relax a bit more against him, Spike allowed himself to relax around the man. Anything that they needed to say, that they needed to work out could be done in the morning. As he was starting to drift off to sleep, Spike noticed that the scent that he had needed to claim was gone now, replaced with his own. Spike tried to brush the thought out of his head, but he knew that eventually it would come back perhaps to bite him in the ass.

'_It wasn't him that you wanted… it was the scent he carried...'_

Disclaimer:I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter…. Damnit

A/N:Alright just so that this is clear Spike is not going to be with Remus… as much as I think they would be perfect for each other Harry will be the mate of Spike. Right now Spike is still looking for his mate and the scent of his mate being on someone else was enough to fool his vampire side to think that Remus was his mate for a while.

With love,**  
**Mari-chan


	10. Chapter Ten

_If only Death understood _

_What he did to me _

_When he took you away _

_But who I use to be_

_I understand he's busy _

_Taking life after life _

_But doesn't he understand _

_When a husband leaves his wife_

_That it's not one life he's taken_

_ Instead he reaped two_

_ It's the cycle that continues _

_Nothing we can do_

_If only Death understood _

_What he took that fateful day_

_ When you're soul finally left _

_While my just fades away_

Chapter Ten

The morning after the ball found Spike with his own personal dilemma. Having taken a lover the night before hadn't been part of his overall plan to bring himself back to the Wizarding world. Finding himself on his back with Remus curled against his chest; Spike brought a hand to his face and ran it through his hair. There was no way, should someone get a hold of this that he would be able to work around sleeping with a werewolf. Having no problem with the fact that his bed partner was a male, Spike found himself troubled more about his race and who he worked for. There was no way for him to know how Albus would take Spike sleeping with the light's pet wolf.

Tensing slightly as he felt Remus move slightly around him, Spike was hit with how much the wolf smelt like him. There was no mistaking for any creature that the wolf was his now, that he had claimed him in the most intimate of ways. Keeping a hand in his own hair, Spike kept his other arm wrapped around the man. Thinking back to the night before, he tried to remember the scent that had made him so far gone with lust.

No matter if the wolf smelt like his mate or not, it was a betrayal that Spike took another to his bed. Praying for the first time that his mate was human as not to understand the scent on the wolf, Spike felt Remus quicken his breathing, indicating he was waking up. Not saying anything once he could feel Remus tense against him, Spike kept his hand around the male who was sure to be questioning his own sanity.

"We're going to have to talk."

Even Spike couldn't recognize the tone of his own voice; instead he let Remus think things through for himself. There was so many things that he had to ask the wolf, about how he knew his mate, how close they were, who he was, how old, when he could meet him.

"I need to know whose scent it was that drove me insane last night, Remus."

The minutes ticked by before Remus answered him, as if he was scared to answer the vampire. Spike for his part allowed Remus the time he needed, after all the man wasn't going anywhere with the wards around his mansion and without clothes. Breathing deeply to take in Remus' scent as he spoke Spike smelt no signs that the wolf was lying to him.

"He's my pup… his father and I were close friends… he's too young, William. I know of the fates giving you a mate… but he's too young to have such a choice put on him. He's been fighting in this war all his life, always a target… please you have to understand that until I know how he feels about this… I can't let you see him."

Growling at the underlining threat, Spike pushed himself up and hovered over Remus with his eyes tinting red. Staying like that for a few moments, Spike saw when Remus started to understand. It wasn't a choice that Spike had any longer, The Powers had given him a mate… and when they took away his soul they took away his ability to sympathize with anyone.

"You will not keep him from me, your pup or no The Powers chose us to be together. I will fight whoever crosses my path in this, be them friend or foe. If he truly is too young then I am sure that The Powers would protect him from my need to claim… _I_ was never the one into children."

Remus not knowing what to say merely looked at the vampire who seemed willing to do anything to have his pup. It tore at him that he was ordered by Albus not to keep them apart, once the headmaster knew who it was that Spike had smelt. Albus was to leave and inform Harry of what was happening, but they both knew that the boy would not accept it so quickly. True William had given him immense pleasure the night before, but who was to say that he could keep himself together enough not to simply_ take_ Harry.

Trying to keep William away from Harry was going to be more of a problem then he first thought. It was well known that vampires didn't have souls but he had honestly believed that he would have been able to reason with William. Looking at the vampire above him now, Remus knew that there was nothing on this earth that would keep him from his mate if given the chance. Sooner rather than latter, William would find out who he was… and nothing would stand in his way. Trying to come up with some way to reason with William, Remus trailed a hand lightly against the vampires' chest.

Seeing William quirk an eyebrow at him, Remus decided to try a more direct approach. With William leaning over him, Remus brought his leg up to rub against the other man, his leg moving up to press the other's lower body against his own. For a slight moment he saw the lust run through William's eyes before he seemed to shake the thought from his mind.

"Give him time… he's still in school this year… he's almost seventeen though. Let him finish his final year of school before you claim him… before you turn him. I know that it won't be the same… but I offer myself in his stead… state your lust on me and leave him until he is out of Hogwarts."

Spike didn't know what to think at the offer, his first thought was to reject the wolf. Having already slept with someone else, he felt guilty enough for cheating on his mate. Looking down at Remus however he couldn't help but notice how attractive the other man was, and it would do well he supposed if he didn't lose himself to his urges when he did finally meet his mate.

The thought of what his mate may say was what stopped him from making his choice. Shaking his head slightly, Spike pushed himself off of Remus completely and sat on the side of the bed. Naked but uncaring of his state of undress, Spike sighed before he took a moment to think about his options. As it stood he had already betrayed his mate, had lost himself to his demon over the mere scent of him and had sex with a werewolf of all beings.

Looking at Remus as he lay on the bed, as naked as the day he was born and willing to sleep with him Spike made his choice. Standing up, Spike went to the trunk he kept at the foot of his bed and opened it to bring out a bag of blood, seeing the flash of disgust from the werewolf. Drinking the bag dry, Spike moved to his closet and brought out a silk robe before pulling it over himself.

"I do not want to harm my mate, Remus… but I won't keep myself from him either. The Powers have given him to me and me to him, it would be an insult to them if I didn't accept him… but I can see your point. Being sixteen is hard enough, and I remember my last year of Hogwarts being rough, and I didn't have a war going on at the time."

Turning to face Remus, Spike saw the hope that was obvious in the werewolf's eyes while he explained his choice. One thing was for sure now that he knew that the werewolf had adopted the child, he would be fighting for the side of the light in this war.

"I'm sure that Albus has figured out who he is by now, and has probably told him so that I will stay on his side of this war. I will not stop myself from seeing him, wolf and you would do best to remember that… however I will not turn him so young. Should he agree I will agree to take things as slowly as I can into this… but he must agree that at some point when the time is right, he will be mine."

"It would be unfair to both of us if I lose myself as I did last night when around him. I, as much as I hate to say it… could use your help in controlling my more… primal need to claim him."

Moving back to the bed, Spike quickly moved to cover Remus once again. Dipping his head down to nip at the others' neck and lick around the shell of his ear, Spike smirked as the werewolf gasped. Leaning against the others' ear Spike's lips brushed against the skin as he spoke.

"I doubt any child would approve of his suppose-to-be lover lying with another… I know that I would not tolerate it. As such until I have spoken to him, written to him perhaps I cannot risk him knowing of anything we have… or if I lose myself, may again do."

Remus' body tensed at the words that came from the vampire; sure he didn't expect that William would keep himself from his mate… but to lie to him? Thinking on what he had offered in the first place, Remus realized that perhaps this was the best way for Harry… who knew how he would deal with being chosen a life-mate… to ask him to deal with his mate taking him before he was ready, or for him to be turned so young was too much.

Nodding his head, Remus pushed William until he could see the other man's face and after nodding his head, Remus kissed him. The kiss wasn't anything soft or sweet but full of passion and lust that it made his eyes rolling in the back of his head. Moaning softly as William licked at his lips, Remus opened his mouth only to accept the tongue that still slightly tasted like blood.

Surprisingly the taste of blood only made Remus even more aroused making him groan while he hooked a leg around William's hips. Pressing his groin against Remus, Spike broke the kiss, his eyes showing the lust that he was feeling. Thrusting his hips against Remus they both moaned at the friction against their cocks.

Not wanting to be the only one naked, Remus moved his hands to untie the robe keeping William's body from him. The feeling of the air against his skin is what finally brought Spike back to his senses, here he was about to lay with someone who wasn't his mate before he got in contact with him. Shaking his head once again, Spike pushed himself off of Remus only to have the werewolf roll them over so that he was on top of the vampire.

Slightly surprised at the move, Spike didn't protest as the werewolf took his cock into his hand and started to stroke him. Closing his eyes, Spike placed his hands on the other's hips while trying to hold onto his control, vampires by nature were sexual beings after all. It took all of his strength to move his hand over the werewolf's however Spike knew he would never forgive himself if he lost himself to his lust once again.

Being a gentle as possible, Spike moved the hand that was stroking his cock off and sat up. Moving and leaving his robe on the bed while he maneuvered from under Remus, Spike sighed and ran a hand through his hair once he was standing once again. Looking to Remus who seemed to not know what to think, Spike licked his lips before speaking.

"I'll be sending a letter soon to my mate; it will arrive within the next day. I will have my phoenix deliver it, hopefully he will be able to send it by following you."

Eyeing the man before him as Remus to pull on his own clothing; Spike knew there was no hiding his obvious arousal as he wasn't wearing any clothing.

"Once I have heard back from him if you wish, you may come back here… until then I need time for him to adjust to the situation at hand."

Seeing that Remus was without a shirt as his had been lost somewhere the night before, Spike walked to the other man and cupped his cheek before kissing him. It only lasted a few moments, but it was enough to make sure that the wolf knew of whom he belonged to until his mate was ready for him. Letting go of Remus, Spike watched and then felt through his wards when the wolf left without a word.

Once Remus was gone, Spike sat down on the covered of his bed and groaned while placing his head in his hands. _'What kind of a mess did I manage to get myself into this time?'_

Picking up the robe that he had left on the bed, Spike wrapped it around himself before he walked to his study. He had a letter to write to his mate, and a headache potion to gather.

Disclaimer:I do not own Buffy The Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter…. Damn it!

A/N:Hello everyone! I had to re-write this chapter at least three times before I was happy with it. I hope you liked it.

With love

Mari-chan


	11. Chapter Eleven

_I wonder if you understand _

_Why it must be you _

_Why I can only see_

_Your light in the room_

_I wonder if Fate told you_

_Whispered in your ear_

_The things that she told me_

_At the start of each year_

_That you would be my only_

_The other half of my soul_

_That she had chosen you_

_To make me whole_

_So please don't fight against me_

_Please only say my name_

_Because while your eyes wander_

_Mine stay the same_

_Please Fate whisper_

_In his ear as well_

_The things that you promised me_

_You're voice like a tinkling bell_

_Because I can see his eyes leave mine_

_Can see his choice to leave_

_But I can have no other_

_So please with me, stay_

Chapter Eleven

He knew the moment that Dumbledore called him down from the library where he had been reading up on defensive spells that something was wrong. Walking down as silently as possible to avoid waking Mrs. Black's portrait Harry could see that even Dumbledore seemed worried about what he was about to say to the young man. Once Dumbledore spotted him, Harry followed the older wizard into the kitchen which seemed to double as a meeting room.

Seeing nobody else there, Harry sat down near the head of the table which had come to be his spot when there was no meeting. Waiting as Albus sat down, not bothering to make tea as was his custom made Harry feel a knot of nerves tie themselves in his stomach. In his mind he was trying to figure out what could bring the twinkle away from Albus Dumbledore's eyes. It was well known in the house that there was an alliance meeting that he had been unable to go to as there were going to be a few dark families there.

He had been told the bare minimum about the meeting, only that there was a ball to welcome the true Lord Malfoy back into the Wizarding world. Harry at the time didn't much care about some ancient bloodline coming back to power; a Malfoy was a Malfoy after all. Looking at Dumbledore now made him wish that he had paid more attention as Hermione informed both Ron and him about what this would mean for the magical world.

After a long silence that Harry didn't want to break, Dumbledore finally spoke. "Harry how much do you know about Lord William Malfoy?"

Blinking slightly, harry looked at his headmaster for a moment more before he answered. "I know just what Hermione told me and Ron. That he claims to be the true lord Malfoy and that he is powerful with both the ministry and magical world of England and Scotland. She said something about the last Lord Malfoy having been around about three hundred years ago with the same name. Ron said that you and the others were going to his manor for a ball and that the Malfoy name going to be ruined by the Lord Malfoy if he chose to do so… professor why do you want to know what I know about Malfoy?"

"Lord Malfoy, Harry it is very important that you call him by his title." the reprimand was out of Dumbledore's mouth before he explained himself. Normally he would insist on Harry using titles half-serious but by the look in his eyes Harry knew that this was different. Nodding his head harry repeated "Lord Malfoy" which caused Dumbledore to smile.

"The reason why I ask you Harry is because I have been in contact with Lord Malfoy since before the ball that I just came from. Harry even Hermione cannot understand the true power that this man holds over the Wizarding world. You see a long time ago when William was only but a boy, not yet the age of 17 his father passed away. In doing so he left behind his only legitimate heir his title and influence. You have to understand Harry the world was different 300 years ago, and blood purity wasn't so much of an issue as it is now."

Seeing the look of disbelief in his young charge, Dumbledore sighed slightly, he truly would have to replace Binns someday. "You see Harry back then it was very rare for a non-magical couple to produce a magical child, even more so for a muggle-born to hold enough power to hold a wand and use it properly and those that did were easily accepted into society so long as they married well."

"The Malfoy line much like it is now was of course, against such a marriage in the belief that a muggle-born would not have enough magic to produce a strong heir. They did not however wish to exclude those with enough magic to produce a magical heir. I am sure that eventually once he is able to see how many magical children these days are muggle-born that William will change his views on them. But back to the story at hand."

"Have you never wondered why it is that Lucius Malfoy was able to hold such a sway over the government when there are those with just as much money that cannot? You see when William became Lord Malfoy all those years ago he was part of a select group of pure-blood magical heirs. By that time there was no shall we say breeding issues with cousins or distant relatives. It was just starting that those of a magical heritage were running out of options of who they would marry as not to contaminate their bloodline."

"The magical world back then held everyone that had pure blood in the highest regard, it was them after all that created the ministry and held the most magic. Seeing that their world would soon have to accept muggle-borns more willingly least they wither and lose their magic from inbreeding it was signed that those of pure blood who remained with only those holding magic would hold the position of power in the government."

"Five hundred years ago seven houses signed the contract and it would be their magical heirs that would be able to take a seat of power in the Wizengamot. Through time all of the houses except for one eventually had at least one member of their family mate and produce with non-magical families. It is because of this that most of the magic of today has to be diluted somewhat and our world changed."

Seeing that Harry was looking at him as if he were Voldemort himself, Dumbledore tried to explain himself.

"Muggle-borns are needed so that we can survive but it is still true that their magic is weaker than pure-bloods would ever be. The union of a muggle-born however and someone of pure or half-blood would produce a stronger heir as they have one third or less of muggle blood in them. Your friend Hermione in all of her wisdom and abilities would never be able to over-power young mister Malfoy in duel of pure power. You however Harry would be able to match young mister Malfoy in power because your mother held magic and your father was a pure blood."

Nodding his head slightly to show that he understood what the professor was saying Harry was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sure he could understand how purebloods would want to keep magic strong but if what Dumbledore was saying was true then they should be marrying muggle-borns as it would keep their magic strong.

"Wait professor… you said that all of the seven families but one ended up going for a muggle-born or muggle…. But I'm sure that there is more than one pure-blood family. I mean before my mum the Potter line was a pureblood… and what of the Longbottoms and Lovegoods?"

Smiling and summoning some tea for himself and Harry Dumbledore thought about how to answer his young charge.

"The seven houses that signed the contract were the Malfoys, Dumbledore's, Weasleys, Peverell, Longbottoms, Blacks and Gaunts. Again Harry you have to understand that this was 500 years ago, two hundred before even Lord Malfoy was born, back then if families could not trace their linage back 6 generations they were not considered a pureblood. Some like the Bones and Shacklebolts were only able to trace their line back 4 or 5 generations at the time of the signing."

"It was custom to have more then one heir just in case something happened to the first born, however the only ones who practice this now is the Weasley family. Slowly but surely one family after another one member of the family would marry someone of a muggle heritage which would then leave them without their overwhelming power of ministry… except one, the Malfoy line."

Harry nodded his head, having expected that after all Draco was always one to point out how pure his bloodline was, and speaking that out load however caused Dumbledore to chuckle. Looking curiously at Dumbledore made him stop his laughing and explain.

"Lucius Malfoy in all of his preaching is one of the least pure bloodlines that exist."

Seeing the look of disbelief on Harry's face, Dumbledore explained the next part of his history lesson.

"William you see had a half-brother who was sired by his father and his mistress. It was not then and is still not uncommon for pureblood families to have arranged marriages. In doing such they would stay with their spouse until an heir was born and then were able to have a lover on the side. Their lover of course would have to be discreet and so long as they did not try to harm the family name in any way both man and wife were happy with the arrangement."

"Now the problem for the Malfoy name came when Williams father died, leaving his mistress and her son nothing. William did not inherit his title as Lord until after he finished his education as per his mothers' wishes. His mother was a kind soul but she held no power to change the will of her late husband until after her son took his title. In doing so her late husband's mistress still kept her monthly allowance that was set up before his death."

"Once he took his role as Lord Malfoy William was still very much under his mother's advice and influence. Following her guide he allowed his half-brother and his family the allowance until his half-brother was of age to find his own employment. After a few months it was clear that nobody would hire an illegitimate heir of the Malfoy line, so William had to decide what to do."

"You must understand Harry that even if they were half-brothers only William was able to call himself a Malfoy. But in his generosity he decided to take care of his brother, he gave him 10 percent of his fortune and the ability to call himself a Malfoy although never Lord Malfoy. Then mysteriously he left the Wizarding world, his mother having been killed and their own home after his disappearance left the Malfoy family without anyone able to claim its title. In the aftermath the half-brother was able to take control of his political power although he was not able to take control of any other funds or access Lord Malfoy's vaults."

Eyes wide with shock that the same Malfoy line that had been so proud and arrogant was not even the true line made Harry pause in his thoughts. "So this Lord Malfoy… is even richer than Lucius Malfoy? And holds more power… like the ultimate power of the ministry… more so than the minister? But wait… I thought he was dead, I mean it's been 300 years…"

Nodding his head Dumbledore looked seriously into Harry's eyes while he spoke to Harry. "It is somewhat true that he died that night, Harry. You see that night he told me he fell in love with a woman, a muggle he thought that she was… but it turns out that she had a magic of her own... She was a vampire. That night she turned him and took him away from his life that he had made with only a few actions, telling only his best friend of the time what was happening and closing his accounts from his half-brother."

"Harry... I didn't call you down here for a history lesson, as enlightening as it was for you I'm sure. You can see now how much we need to have Lord Malfoy on our side of this war. Even with his new creature status he still holds more power than we could ever imagine. I know that you didn't cover vampires in third year as you were supposed to but surely you remember there being one in Professor Slughorn's party last year? Vampires unlike werewolves are not shunned from society, yes they are feared but so long as they don't kill or feed from unwilling witches and wizards they are accepted."

"What you should have covered is that most muggle lore is true on them, they burn in the sun, holy water is like acid, and a wooden stake to the heart will turn them to dust. They feed from the blood of the living, they don't need to breathe although most due out of habit from their human lives, their hearts don't beat but most important of all is the fact that the moment that they die to be turned… they lose their souls."

Although he knew that it would be a hurdle for what he wished of Harry Dumbledore was not about to lie to the boy about his future mate. There were rumors about vampires being able to regain their soul, even legend about a spell that was only to be used once that could curse a vampire with a soul. William however didn't offer to get his soul back, nor did he mention it which lead Albus to believe that he wasn't about to go through the trials and retrieve it.

"Even without their soul, vampires are able to function properly unlike a regular wizard after the dementors kiss. The virus in the vampire blood which they have to drink from their sire to be turned insures that they can move around and have understanding… but their morals that come with a soul are gone. I am sure that during his time away from his homeland that William did many things that would leave him in most eyes a monster worse than Voldemort."

Seeing Harry shiver in only the thought of what the vampire could have done in his 300 years away from England caused Albus to pause slightly.

"So long as he is in England have no fear of him, Harry I am sure that he will be careful not to cross the lines set for him as a vampire. If he wants to keep his power he will be forced to obey our laws and customs. I'm not telling you this to scare you, but you must be informed. Now without a soul it is next to impossible for a vampire to be blessed as most creatures, even werewolves have what they call their true mate or bonded, vampires are not given this privilege as their souls are forfeit."

Taking a sip from his tea Dumbledore tried to think about how he would tell the young man before him that fate had managed to take something else from him.

"During our negotiations William agreed to become part of our Order and to fight with his power and influence against the Dark. The Order of course did not get this for nothing, my dear boy… the Malfoy line has always been in Slytherin. William wishes to be an active member once he is able to get back into contact with his old family alliances but what he wished of most of all and the only thing tying him to the Light… is his mate."

Looking up confused to Dumbledore Harry spoke. "Professor? I thought you said that vampires didn't have a true mate…"

Nodding his head Albus explained the situation. "Quite right, they do not Harry… but William much like yourself has been chosen by Fate to be different than the rest of his kind. Unlike all others of his kind he has been blessed with a true mate of his own. He is not aware of who they are, although I am sure that right now he is starting to be understand who they are connected to."

"You see Harry; any creature that has a mate will be drawn to them. Vampires with their enhanced senses are able to scent their mate long before they see them. And after watching the interactions between William and those that attended the party I am fairly certain who his mate is."

Harry could feel his stomach turning at the look that his headmaster was giving him. He had known from the time that he had been called down that this was a conversation that he didn't want to have. His face went white and a look of horror crossed his face while Albus tried to find some kind of silver lining that he could give the young boy before him.

"Yes, Harry The Powers That Be have chosen you to be his mate. Every time he could smell your scent on any of your friends and especially on Remus I could see his inner turmoil to be closer to the scent. His possessiveness and vampire side came closer to the surface the more of your scent that he could smell on his guests. I am sure that Remus is right now trying to reason with him in waiting until you are of age."

"I am sorry by boy… I understand that Fate has once again taken a choice from you. This does not have to be such a horrible thing my boy. Please understand that I can no longer protect you from him, but a vampire will not harm his mate. You will not understand or accept it now, I know but when you are able to absorb what Fate has chosen for you, please seek me out and I will be willing to help you through this… you are not alone Harry."

Nodding his head in a daze, Harry got up from his spot at the table and walked back upstairs to the room he was currently using. Normally he would be sharing with Ron but after Sirius died Harry had a room to himself for the rest of the summer. Lying back on the bed he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that yet another choice had been taken from him. Closing his eyes, Harry couldn't hold back the whimper from the back of his throat.

'_I'm going to be mated to a Malfoy… oh Merlin I'm so sorry Sirius… but what else can I do? The Order needs this man to win the war… to defeat Voldemort… please Mum, Dad, Sirius… please don't hate me… please…'_

With those last thoughts, Harry let a few tears fall from his eyes as he fell asleep, dreaming of a world where he had his own choices.

Disclaimer:I do not now, nor have I ever owned Buffy The Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter… damn 'cause Ginny would NOT end up with Harry if I did!

A/N: Hey I just wanted to thank you again for reading ^_^

With love,

Mari-chan


	12. Chapter Twelve

_I can't help but wonder_

_If you'll remember me_

_The way that we played_

_The way it use to be_

_I know that you didn't suffer_

_That there was no fear_

_But I still have to wonder_

_Do you still hold me dear?_

_So young were you taken_

_Not old enough for school_

_But still I see your smile_

_How you followed the rules_

_I can see your small face_

_And hear your laugh_

_And all I can think_

_Is I want you back_

_So please remember me_

_When it's my time to go_

_Please remember your Daddy_

_And that he loves you so_

Chapter Twelve

The next morning was beautiful out; in fact Harry awoke to the sounds of one of the few neighbouring birds chirping away. Hedwig who had been absent for a fly the previous night had returned and was sitting on her perch, grooming her feathers. The creaks and groans of such an old house were nearly silent, the only noise being from where Kreacher was, most likely cleaning. For a moment, only a brief space in time, Harry forgot about the night before.

It was crushing when he remembered what he had been told, like a wave the previous day crashed down upon him, making him gasp. As the information sunk in, he couldn't hold back the few tears that slipped past his eyes. Sitting up, Harry angrily wiped them off his face and took a breath before opening his eyes. The sun through the window was lost to him, the sounds of the birds now deaf to his ears.

Looking at Hedwig gave Harry some comfort, and taking his waking form as permission the faithful owl flew to him. Landing on his blanket-covered knee Hedwig looked up at her master. Moving one of his hands, Harry effortlessly patted her while he began to speak. Perhaps if it explained it to someone who couldn't answer him back, maybe he would be able to make sense of it all as well.

"I'm supposed to mate with someone, Hedwig a man, one who I've never even met! Dumbledore said that he could be the turning point of the war, that he's too powerful to let slip by. He says that he's nothing like the people now that have his name... but a Malfoy is a Malfoy, right? I mean how different could he be... I suppose people said the same thing about Sirius... I just... I don't even know if I can do this, Hedwig never once did I even think about a guy like that, I mean I've had a crush on Cho and me and Ginny dated for a bit... what if I'm completely strait?"

Cooing softly, Hedwig listened to her master speak, after all it was her job to keep him safe, even from himself. Unlike most owls Hedwig was fully capable of understanding what her master said; after all she learnt a long time ago to listen. Batting her head against his hand when he next patted her she tried to give as much comfort as she could. She was sure that Albus knew what he was doing, after all he may have the war to deal with but her master was one of his favourites, he would not harm him unless there was no other choice.

Hearing Harry's stomach rumble, Hedwig hopped off of his knee to let him get up to find something to eat. While getting up Harry wondered how he could deal with this, one thing was for certain though he needed to speak with someone about what he shouldn't do. It would be impossible for him to speak to Dumbledore objectively about his situation, and Ron would blow a gasket before the word Malfoy come out of his mouth. The only reasonable one of his friends that wouldn't judge would be Hermoine but even she wouldn't know what to do without looking up Malfoy and that could take ages.

Finally the answer came to him, Remus would know. While he wasn't as close to the werewolf as he would like Harry was sure that he would help him. The only problem was trying to get a hold of the werewolf, normally he would be easy to access but lately he had been called away to speak to the werewolf packs about joining the light. Making his way downstairs, Harry made his decision to write to Remus after he was done of breakfast.

As he made his way to the kitchen, Harry noticed that unlike normal mornings there was nobody in the kitchen this morning. Thinking about it, Harry realized that perhaps Dumbledore wanted to make sure that he had nobody to rant to. Like the summer of his fifth year he was left alone to deal with what had happened. Although not as final as the death of Sirius this was a life-changing event and he would be left alone to deal with it again.

At that thought a surge of anger came up from his chest, anger that he was sure could someday consume him. Who was Dumbledore to make that choice for him? Who was Dumbledore to cut him off from any support he could find? Oh he knew that the old man was in his own way trying to protect him, was trying to help him but at the same time he was also trying to control him. Harry had realized a long time ago that Dumbledore was always trying to help, that he was trying to make sure that the light survived this war.

Taking a deep breath Harry squished the rage down again, like he had to most of his life and went about to make some tea and breakfast. Although he could cook after living with the Dursley's he decided on just some toast with jam and his tea for the morning. Sitting down at the table to eat, Harry wondered once again to his situation.

Even if he disliked... okay, hated the thought of mating with someone he didn't chose, that didn't mean that he didn't have options. If what Dumbledore said was true and this Lord Malfoy was as powerful and influential enough to turn the tides of war then he didn't have a choice, he had to mate with him. There was always the option of running away, but he doubted he would get far without being found out by The Order or Voldemort

Another option was the one that was most appealing to the Slytherin side of himself that he tried to ignore. What if he only pretended to go with it, what if once Voldemort was dead he simply ran away? What could this Lord Malfoy do? Surely there was some law again forcing him to mate with him, after all rape was still illegal no matter how you looked at it. It wouldn't be that he would marry the man anyways; last he heard that wasn't possible. He of course wouldn't ask for anything, wouldn't use his money or power for anything besides the war.

Thinking more of it, Harry realized that it would in fact be horrible for the man if there were feelings involved. Sighing, Harry took another sip of his tea and pondered. What if he didn't express emotion? Despite being mates there was no way that love could be involved this early in the game, so long as he didn't let Malfoy fall in love, then nobody got hurt. The more he thought about it, the more the plan seemed to work in his mind.

The Slytherin side of his brain was quite happy that he wouldn't have to be forced to have no choice in the matter while the Gryffindor half was happy that nobody was hurt. It was the pit of his stomach the one that told him to tell someone about his dreams, the one that told him to listen to Snape, and the one that never let him down if only he listened that spoke of bad things to come, but he was too busy to listen.

It wasn't until later that night that Remus came back to the house, he looked tired but he had a glow to him that Harry hadn't seen since Sirius. For a moment he didn't know what had taken over Remus, after all he had only gone to the ball with the rest of The Order and now he was looking relaxed. It was then that what Dumbledore said clued him in. _'Albus said that Lord Malfoy caught my scent from those that I knew at the ball... maybe my scent caused a reaction for him to know... but Remus wouldn't, and surely someone trying to impress his mate wouldn't...'_

Remus was the one that suggested that they sit down to talk, and getting the tea ready the older man was also the first to start the conversation. Although he looked relaxed there was a tense air around him while he spoke.

"I don't know what you've been told, Harry about what happened in the ball, or what we as The Order are trying to accomplish with William Malfoy. If you don't know by now then I guess I should tell you... William isn't human; he's a vampire... from what I can tell an old and very powerful vampire."

Nodding his head, Harry indicated for Remus to continue as he paused in his speech. He had known that Malfoy was a vampire, and given the math he knew that he was old enough... but powerful? Sure he knew that the man had influence with the Ministry but not any true power as a vampire.

"When Albus first started recruiting him Lord Malfoy asked only for one thing as a promise to the light. He asked that when it was made known who his chosen mate was that he would be able to complete the bond without ridicule or anyone trying to stop the bond. When everyone went the ball last night... there was mixed reactions of course, none of us felt like we belonged in his mansion for starters... and what was peculiar was how he reacted.

He never harmed anyone, but when he got close enough to smell your scent Harry... he seemed to lose himself a bit. His eyes dilated, his fangs became more noticeable and what I noticed that others couldn't was the scent of arousal. The closer the person he could smell was to you, or had been to you the worse he got."

Looking to Harry so that he could see his eyes, Remus tried to think of how he would be able to break this to Harry. There was no way that he would be able to keep this kind of thing from his cub. Trying to form the words, Remus took a breath before he continued, getting his thoughts together.

"I had the most of your scent last night, cub. After speaking with Albus and letting him know what I could smell I stayed behind. He was supposed to tell you that Lord Malfoy is needed if we want to win this war, and that you are his mate... but... I... I had to know if he would harm you. He could no more stop himself then I could stop my transformation during the full moon, I'm sorry cub but we... he had to claim the scent of you on me."

There was only silence in the room for a few minutes, on the one hand Harry had known that it had happened. Some part inside of him felt betrayed something that he didn't understand. It didn't make sense that he would care about this Lord Malfoy having sex with someone else, after all he didn't want to be his mate. There was a nagging voice on the back on his head that told him differently, that he wanted this William to prove his loyalty to him and only him.

"You have to understand, Harry... the need for a creature to claim their mate, to make sure that no other is able to take them is the most powerful feeling we will ever experience. Lord Malfoy however is willing to try and suppress his need, to try and tame that part of him that wants nothing more than to find you to complete the bond. There is only one way for this to happen, Harry so that you don't have to go around him. Over the next few weeks I will be visiting him after seeing you; with your scent on me he will resist the temptation as much as possible until the need is no longer there."

"What?"

The exclamation came out before he could even register that he had said it. Pausing for a moment to get his thoughts together, Harry tried to think about what he wanted to say.

"I just... both you and Dumbledore have said that I need to accept this... except that Lord Malfoy will be my mate, but now you're saying that I have to let him cheat on me? How could someone expect me to except this, no if this Lord Malfoy wants me then he is going to have to prove it."

Remus didn't speak; after all he knew that Harry had a point to make. The problem wasn't that he didn't understand his cub; it was that his cub didn't fully understand the situation. Sighing, Remus tried to think about how to phrase what he wanted to explain.

"Harry... you have to understand that if you don't want him to try and resist your scent on me... then we he sees you he will not be able to resist you. If you don't allow this to happen, allow him to use me as a substitute until he gets his control in order... he will rape you Harry. There is no stopping a creature that had found their mate, which is why fate normally gives us to another creature." Pausing ever so slightly, Remus waiting for the information to be absorbed before he continued.

"I know that it's not fair, that you don't want this to happen and I understand, Merlin Harry I understand why but you have to let it. With time he will be able to resist the temptation and there are other things that we would be able to do to help, if he had something that smelt of you it would help as well. We can try other things, but you can't ask me to wait to have you raped by your mate..."

Harry took a minute to think things over, on the one hand the thought of his mate being with someone else while trying to win him over made him feel ill. On the other he had no desire to be taken against his will by anyone.

"What about you, Remus? Doesn't he hurt you?"

Shaking his head, Remus answered the question that he hoped would not come up in the conversation.

"No Harry... although driven by lust he did not harm me... but I am not... I have... it wasn't my first time in such a situation. You haven't met him yet but Lord Malfoy isn't exactly hard on the eyes, Harry... if he was generally interested and not already destined for you I would have wished for chance to be with him romantically."

Looking up at Remus, Harry knew that he must look shocked, after all Remus had never before given him the impression that he was gay. Even while going through his memories he couldn't see anything that would indicate that he would like men. Suddenly Harry felt like someone had wrapped a fist around his heart... the night that he had first seen Sirius, the look in their eyes... it had been more than what he assumed.

Trying to think back to every time he saw Remus and Sirius together, from when they were reunited to Christmas and finally to the night that made him tear up. When he thought back to the night that Sirius fell through the veil Harry tried to focus his thoughts to only Remus, how he acted, how he reacted. Now thinking on it, Remus did change since then, hung around Harry more often, looked like he was somehow broken.

At first Harry had assumed that it was the loss of his best friend, his only connection to his old life. Now he realized that Remus now looked at Harry as his only connection, as his only thing worth living for since Sirius' death. When Sirius was alive the looks were different than what he gave Harry, were more tender more emotional. Now Remus seemed for lack of a better word, empty.

"Was... was he your mate?"

The question was asked so softly that Harry wondered if Remus could even hear it. As he watched Remus and saw the look in his eyes, he almost wished that he could take the question back, but a part of him had to know. Harry had only been able to spend at most a few weeks with his godfather, but in those weeks... no in the first few hours of knowing him he could claim that he loved the man dearly. It hurt now to realize that neither Remus nor Sirius thought to tell him about their relationship.

"He found out during our fifth year... but Moony... he knew since our first."

Nodding his head slightly, Harry could understand that. It would be hard enough for Remus to understand the feelings that he was experiencing at such a young age... infatuation was one thing but being mates would be another. One major fault of the Wizarding world that was pointed out to him numerous times by Hermoine was the fact that it was hard to come by any information for creatures. Sure they had classes dedicated to the study but for personal research, it was incredibly hard to come by. Classes were supposed to be based on basic knowledge of the creature followed by how to identify and if it was dangerous, how to kill it.

Remus would have had to figure out what was happening to him on his own, after all if Hermoine was unable to find close to nothing about werewolves and their habits, or Merlin forbid how to help them then it would be next to impossible. Standing up from his spot, Harry waved off Remus' protest with a simple "I need to think" before he made his way to his room.

Once he made his way to his bedroom, Harry once again wondered what fate had in store for him next. First he loses his family because of some maniac, and then he gets put into and abusive home. He gets pulled out of his mundane life to say that he's magical and then has to find out he's famous for of all things, living. He is faced with his parent's murderer who is now after him again and again, losing the only family he has left... and now this, he can't even chose who he gives his heart to.

Flopping down on the bed, Harry closes his eyes and places an arm across his forehead. On the one hand he understood, he really did understand the fact that both Remus and Malfoy couldn't help what happened, that they were victims too. He could understand logically that Remus is just trying to help him in the long run, but no matter how much sense it made he couldn't accept it. Looking at the ceiling Harry made his choice.

_'No, if he wants me... then he will have to come around and fight the temptation on his own... I will not have him being with someone else while I wait here like some kind of bought wife!'_

Somewhere in Malfoy manor, while tending to his own duties, Spike also known as William Malfoy shivered.

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy the Vampire Slayer... if I did do you really think Spike would be anywhere but on my bed?

A/N:Yay! This chapter seemed to have taken forever but it's finally done! I hope you enjoy it considering I only got done about half of what I wanted to. Now I would like to say that at some point, not right now I may re-write this chapter. I'm not 100% happy with the way Remus explained things but until I get some negative feedback I think I might leave it the way it is for a while.

With love,

Mari-chan


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_There's a part of me_

_That still remains with you_

_There's a part of me_

_That thinks it's not true_

_How could it be over?_

_When I just started to live_

_How could it be over?_

_I had so much to give_

_I don't think I told you_

_What you mean to me_

_I don't think you know_

_That I can still see_

_You're still holding on now_

_You're still in shock_

_You're still holding it in_

_No words to talk_

_But you should know_

_That now there's no fear_

_No need to worry_

_I still hold you dear_

_Don't worry for me Daddy_

_I'm still by your side_

_Even though you can't see_

_You seek and I hide_

_Its okay now Daddy_

_All worries wash away_

_Because don't you know Daddy_

_My love's here to stay_

Chapter Thirteen

During his time as Lord of the Malfoy family, however brief it had been William had to write many documents. There was the time before that as heir, his father passed on some responsibility to him, some management of their finances as practice for when he took over as Lord. There was also the time that he had to write a false statement to his father in great detail of all magical accomplishments and list all persons of magical blood in the Malfoy family as far as they could document.

William had to write for school, write for his father, write to his friends, his rivals and his maybe-to-be wives. But never had he had such a hard time writing anything that he did with the letter he was trying to write to his mate. Had this been three hundred years ago he was sure that he wouldn't have been able to come up with something, after all marriages were made for profit then, not for fate.

Times were much simpler when all a man had to do was go through the motions of courtship. Now there were all kinds of variables that he couldn't understand anymore, there was dating and then engagement and then finally if the couple didn't kill each other by the time the marriage came, the actual tying of the knot. Sighing for what must have been the hundredth time that day; William finally dipped his quill into the inkwell and placed it to parchment.

_'Dear Mate,_

_I'm sorry for addressing this letter as such however it seems as though all those that know you seem to wish to keep your name a secret. My name in case you were not informed is William Spencer Malfoy. In all honesty I don't know what I should tell you in the letter, of where I should begin and what you wish to hear from me. I suppose I should start from the beginning so that you have an understanding of me._

_When I was a young man I was given the title of heir to the Malfoy name, now back then name meant everything. If you were heir to such a house of pure-blood standing then you would have the world at your beck and call and everything that it contains at your fingertips. Of course there were families that used their power lightly, those that enjoyed the simple pleasures in life and those that abused such a power to bring others down._

_From what I can tell from newspaper articles and from what some of my contacts have told me the Malfoy name has turned from the first example to the second. One of the first rules I learnt from my father was that nobody was truly below you; from the poorest peasant to the richest king everyone had their place in the world to make it turn smoothly._

_Like you I was taught at the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry, Hogwarts. I was an above average student although I did better in defence than any other subject. It was while I was in school that my father died and left me and my mother. Now as I was still a student my mother kept the family affairs in order so that I could get my education. She was a kind woman and although my father had me as his heir he also had another son from his mistress. Being the kind woman that she was, my mother allowed his mistress to keep an allowance and allowed her to keep the home she was living in._

_When I took my role as Lord Malfoy it then became my responsibility to help out any and all family that needed it. My half-brother at the time could not find work as he was only a bastard son of the late Lord Malfoy and as such did not even have the ability to hold his name. As I look back now I realize that I should have made him move to somewhere else, start from the beginning with his own family but I was too naive at the time._

_Instead of letting him suffer I gave my half-brother a percentage of the Malfoy fortune and most of all the right to call himself a Malfoy in name. Now in doing so I gave him power that he didn't know what do to with I suppose, power he had no right handling. Shortly after my graduation I met a lovely woman, one who I fell in love with. I called her my Dark Princess as she only came to me at night and had the most beautiful black hair. Late one night she came to me and bit me on the neck._

_The woman that I fell for was the one to turn me into what I am today, a vampire. You see a newborn vampire is only able to desire one thing, blood. They are reckless and unstable and their sire needs to help them through this time if they can even hope to survive. My sire wasn't exactly sane and as such was little help after my turning. I hunted and fed for nights I imagine, I wish I remembered more of it but my mind was so clouded at the time I don't remember much anymore._

_I do remember one thing however; I was able to tell one person and one person only what was happening. My best friend who married into the Weasley line. She swore to me that she and her line would remember me, should I come back to live among wizards again. In my time away from the Wizarding world from what I have read my half-brother made a mess of things, it seems that when he was titled to be the last Malfoy with my disappearance the power corrupted him._

_Using the influence that he could he destroyed all that my father built he took away any resources from those who did not acknowledge him as the Lord Malfoy including my best friend. He stole from her descendants their fortune, ripped apart the Malfoy ideals and ran my name through the mud. He was ruthless and from what I can tell his descendant still is._

_I'm not going to tell you that I'm perfect, love. In fact I'm sure that eventually I will tell you about some things I've done that you wish not to hear. I'm not perfect and in all honesty I'm not nice, I've killed, stole, bribed, lusted, punished and used others. I even had my hand at trying to ruin the world once or twice, but I can promise you this. As my mate I will not lie to you, I will not take which is not freely given and I will not harm you to the best of my ability._

_The reason why I'm tell you this now is because in my day, back when going to space was just a dream and television just someone's thought courtship was honesty. It was about two families coming together for alliances and power, but this is different, this was chosen by fate herself. If you accept I would like to court you, to woo you, to make you understand that everything I have... everything I am could easily be yours. In return I ask for your friendship, your company... and I hope someday your love._

_Sincerely_

_Lord William Malfoy_

_p.s. Please keep my middle name to your own, I had the hardest time trying to get it erased from history. '_

Finally completing the letter, William read it over and nodded to himself. It wasn't perfect; in fact he could point out to himself several things that were wrong with it. But it was honest, and that was what he wanted. As if reading is thoughts, Allah came over to him and waited while he sealed the envelope that held his message. Placing the parchment in her break, Spike watched as she flew off to deliver the message. Shivering slightly he stood up and made his way downstairs, after all he still had some work to do with his correspondence to the minister himself.

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy the Vampire Slayer... I do however own all original characters and poems used... so take that :P

A/N:Hello ^^ I know that it hasn't been that long since the last time we spoke but I felt that its been so long since my last update before this one and you guys have been sooooooo awesome that here's another chapter. I know that its not much but its kinda a bonus for being so awesome with me.

Anyways I should be going now...

With love,

Mari-chan


	14. Chapter Fourteen

_So many lives_

_Have been torn apart_

_By this thing called hate_

_We say we don't have it_

_That we don't feel its power_

_Unconsumed we say_

_But the truth is_

_We all feel its grasp_

_When confronted by anger_

_And we deny its existence_

_Each and every day_

_We deny_

_That's why it holds power_

_Power we don't understand_

_Until it consumes us_

_And then we feel nothing_

_But it's burning power_

_After all_

_The way to hell is paved_

_With good intentions..._

_That... and denial_

Chapter Fourteen

It wasn't until mid-afternoon that Harry made his way downstairs, after all he didn't feel much like talking to anyone. For once Harry was glad that Dumbledore used his usual methods and had everyone leave him alone in order to deal with what was happening. Not feeling much like eating, Harry only made himself a sandwich and sat down at the table to eat. It was while he was eating that he got another surprise for the day, soaring into came a phoenix of all creatures unlike Fawkes this one mainly black with some silver mixed in.

Landing on the table before him, the phoenix dropped the letter that it had been carrying in its mouth. Putting his sandwich down, Harry looked at the letter for a moment before a short call from the bird made him pick it up. Watching the phoenix carefully Harry opened the envelope before even looking at the seal. Dropping the envelope on the table, Harry's eyes widened as he read to who it was addressed.

Dropping the letter, he didn't even bother reading and instead merely glared at the bird looking at him. Allah for his part merely looked back at Harry, after all there was no way that he was going to leave until his master's mate at least read the letter. Hopping a bit closer to the human, Allah chirped slightly before looking down at the fallen parchment. Seeing that the human had no intention of reading the letter, Allah moved slightly to snap his beak at Harry without actually hitting him.

Believing that phoenix was going to harm him if he didn't read the letter, Harry picked it up once again. Inside it wasn't anything that he didn't already know, he knew the history of this Lord Malfoy, he knew that he was a vampire and he knew that he was his mate. What he didn't know was that this Lord Malfoy, from what he wrote was different then Draco or Lucius Malfoy that he wrote about equality and love.

After reading through the letter Harry wondered if he should respond or not. Looking at the phoenix whose name he didn't know, he guessed that he would have to. Sighing, Harry got up and made his way to his bedroom so that he could get some parchment and quill. As he was writing his reply, he thought about the choice that he had made about how he planned to make this as hard on the vampire as he could.

Once he was finished, Harry gave the letter to the phoenix and watched as the bird took off in flight. Sitting down on the bed, Harry wondered how he was going to get out of this mess, as there was no way that he would mate with someone just because Fate decided to mess with his life again. Thinking to inform someone else he wrote on a new parchment to his two best friends to explain what was happening.

****~**~**~**~**~**~ With William ~**~**~**~**~****

Unlike what he had originally planned, Spike hadn't spent any time in writing to the minister himself. As he had already tried to get in contact with the man and there had been no answer from him, William had decided to go directly to the papers. It had been hard for him to write to them to announce his return but with so many people going to his ball he had to do something official. Sighing to himself there was someone else that he needed to write to as well.

Placing the quill to the parchment he began to write to the Board of Governors for Education. If he wasn't going to be given access to his mate by The Order then he knew of only one other place that he would be able to do so. Shuddering at the thought of having to go into a building full of little evils he sighed as he signed his name to the letter. Reading the letter over he nodded his head in approval before passing it to Princess along with the letter for the newspaper which he tied to her leg as not to get them confused.

_'Dear Board of Education Governors,_

_My name is Lord William Malfoy. It had come to my attention through a reliable source that this Board has accepted into its circle someone who does not have the authority to be admitted. It was my understanding that the Board of Education can only accept a party who holds sound ties to the original seven._

_I understand that as Lucius Malfoy holds the Malfoy name in title only with no legal blood ties that he should be removed from the Board._

_On a related note I would like to petition myself to take his place on the Board. Being Lord Malfoy I have already been accepted onto the Board originally as the only one to be able to legally claim that name. I would also like to make a suggestion for Hogwarts once I officially announce my return._

_I Lord William Malfoy petition for myself to hold a contract of one year as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have found a history of previous professors for that particular subject and find most of them, lacking. It is about time that we make a change in that policy and I at least would like to be a contribution to help the children in understanding the subject._

_Should any have any questions or concerns please contact me by floo or owl. I await your response as well as my summons ring which I believe to be in the possession of Mister Malfoy._

_Yours truly,_

_Lord William Malfoy'_

Setting the letter aside so that when Allah or Princess came back he would be able to send it off, Spike sat back in his chair for a moment. Now that he had made the first step in aiding The Order with his request of having Lucius Malfoy taken off the Board he didn't know what step to take next. With his announcement going to be delivered to the paper he only had to wait until Lord Voldemort decided when he wished to meet him.

Running a hand through his hair, Spike wondered if he should get in word with Albus about what progress he made. He knew that it would only be a curtsy to tell him as he was sure that the Board would not deny him this request. Originally he had planned on asking to be placed in the position of History of Magic however he didn't think teaching the young history when he didn't know anything in the past three hundred years would work.

Standing up, Spike decided that informing Albus of his plans was probably best after all he didn't want to alienate the only way to get to his mate. Walking to the fireplace he wondered if the headmaster would be busy at this time. The chances were that he would probably prefer to have a letter sent back at the current time he already had Princess and Allah working and he didn't want to wait too long.

Throwing the floo powder into the fireplace, William stuck his head into the fireplace after saying his destination and waited. Only a few moments he was greeted with the fact of Albus Dumbledore. Not wanting to waste time, Spike spoke first.

"I'm sorry about the short notice however I believe that you would like to be kept updated on any progress being made on the war effort."

The next moment he was being invited to come through the floo network. Pulling back Spike threw in some more powder and used the floo to be transported to Dumbledore manor. Stepping out of the fireplace, William was greeted by Albus who gave him a strained smile. Seeing that the man seemed to be worn out Spike decided that maybe he should have asked before he made plans without him.

"I'm sorry to be abrupt however there is a minor situation that draws on my attention this evening, if we could take this into the sitting room?"

Nodding his head in understanding, William followed Albus to his sitting room which was a lot more lived-in then his own. Books lined the walls while small trinkets were distributed around the room. Spike had no illusions as to the fact that some if not all of them were magical artifacts meant to monitor places and people. His mother had one that he saw off to the side that monitored him as a small child. Letting the charms slide as some of them he was sure weren't legal anymore were there.

Sitting down in an over-stuffed chair that he basically sunk into Spike declined the offer of tea and some kind of candy. Making sure that none of his anticipation showed on his face, Albus smiled a still strained smile while he looked at his unexpected guest.

"As you seem to be busy I will cut strait to the point. I have sent out a few letters today and I wish to inform you of their contents. First of all I have written to the local paper to have them formally inform the public of my return along with my standing as a reformed vampire. I also sent a letter to my mate who I am guessing is a student at your school from the information I was able to gather from the werewolf."

Seeing that Albus seemed to relax slightly as nothing damaging was being done so far in his explanation of his visit, Spike continued.

"I also sent a letter to the Board of Governors for Education. I expect within the next few days they will expel Lucius Malfoy from their Board. I also petitioned to have myself replaced him which I expect will benefit you."

Albus nodded his head and even smiled an actual smile at that news. It was no secret that Lucius Malfoy had been trying to years to get Albus Dumbledore fired as Headmaster of Hogwarts. Lucius however had too much money and power to be simply taken off the Board unless of course that person had even more money which until William claimed his birthright, nobody did.

"I also made another request from the Board of Education to have myself placed as your Defense professor this year."

Seeing Albus Dumbledore in a shocked state was something to remember. From the impression that he got of him at first Spike could only imagine that it was a rare thing. Giving the Headmaster a moment to think about what he had done, Spike sat back and waited.

"I can understand your wish to come to Hogwarts, to keep an eye on your mate. Honestly I was going to asking the board if they would place you in that position, it seems however that you did my work for me."

Having expected to be explaining why he should be at Hogwarts at all he was taken off guard and pleasantly surprised that Albus didn't seem to mind.

Looking at Albus, Spike could almost see the wheels turning in his head over what he requested. Surprisingly he didn't protest to him being in such close counters with his mate, after all wasn't he worried about one of his professors taking advantage of a student? It wasn't common but it did happen from time to time, in the Wizarding world it wasn't illegal so long as the student was of age and no special treatment was given.

"You said that you were officially announcing your return, correct?"

Spike nodded his head wondering where this conversation was going.

"It will only be a matter of time before Lord Voldemort contacts you in his wish for you to join him. It would be... beneficial if he were to believe for a time that you share the same goal."

Seeing that Spike only raised his eyebrow Albus continued to explain.

"Right now we do have a spy in his inner circle however he is merely human with no real leverage like Voldemort wants and as such is to an extent expendable. If _you_ however were to join you would receive I place of honour within his ranks as a powerful ally. Being that you are a creature which is dark in nature he will not suspect you of being with his opposition."

"And if he asks why I am placing myself into Hogwarts when I just came back from my self-inflicted exile?"

Smiling as if Spike had already agreed on his participation in his newest plot, Albus was almost eager to answer.

"Well to spy on me of course, my dear boy. Not knowing when he would contact you, you felt that you could not wait another day to serve him and so you offered to teach at Hogwarts. Your offer was of course so that when he chose to contact you, you would then have information on the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore."

It could work, Spike realized. Sure he would have everything he said verified with their other spy which he guessed he would not be introduced to. It was a safety precaution to have another spy; they would need to speak the same information without knowing of the other. It would be a tricky situation should the other spy find out something different, or if he worked for the dark after all the other had managed to gain The Order's trust after years of service.

"And will you be telling your spy that there is another that will be reporting to you?"

There was a twinkle in his eyes as Albus shook his head. Sighing, Spike nodded his consent, after all he had promised to aid in this war and he would do what he could. Seeing that Albus seemed pleased by his consent, Spike wondered if he would regret his choice.

Standing so that he could make his way back home, Spike was walked to the floo. Shaking Albus' hand he then threw in some floo powder and made his way back home. Upon his return he made his way to his chambers and pulled out a bag of blood that he drank in only a few moments. Feeling his stress fade away slightly at the warm blood running down his throat, Spike wondered what The Powers were thinking sending him back.

Looking at his table he found a small pile of letters that would need his attention. Sighing and throwing the empty bag onto his bed which would be cleaned up latter he made his way to his desk. Glancing at his clock it read ten o'clock at night.

_It's going to be a long night... good thing I am a creature of the night..._

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy the Vampire Slayer... if I did Spike would be chained to my bed... just sayin'!

A/N: Thank you so much for sticking with me on this fic! I know that it's been a long time since my last update and I really do love you all for saying with me. It has been brought to my attention several times now that my grammar and spelling suck. To those that brought this to my attention thank you for pointing it out to me. In order to fix this I would like to ask if anyone would like to be my beta for this story?

If so please send me a pm or simply review with your interest and I will get back to you asap.

Thank you

With love,

Mari-chan


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_Sometimes deception, is the only way out _

Chapter Fifteen

By the time that he had managed to finish all of his work which included; several replies to the ball, a detailed letter to be sent to Lucius Malfoy and another letter to a few families that he wanted to keep in contact with, it was well into the middle of the night. Looking at his bed longingly Spike was about to crawl in for sleep when Allah came back to him with a letter tied to his leg. Surprised that he got a response at all, Spike was eager to open the letter that he could smell came from his mate.

Bringing the letter to his face he breathed in the scent of his mate deeply while Allah went to his perch to sleep. For a moment he could pretend that he was close to his mate that the boy was with him. Slowly and carefully he opened the letter which had been sealed without a house crest. Unfolding the parchment, Spike could tell that the young man wasn't of a privileged upbringing. The writing was scratchy, although the boy had only his years at Hogwarts to learn how to write.

Mudblood. The word came to his mind almost instantly looking at the writing that the young boy had. It would be the only reason why a magical child wouldn't have elegant writing on parchment. Being an heir or child of the magical world meant that you knew from a young age how to act and present yourself. When he was only four or five he was learning how to write from his mother in the most elegant hand.

Even with their fortune gone, Spike had noticed that Arthur wrote formally in his letter that he had sent to him. Now that he knew something about his mate, Spike was surprised that he didn't feel ashamed that his mate was a mudblood. Shaking off his thoughts, William began to read the letter before him, his only contact with his mate.

_'Dear Lord Malfoy,_

_You were right; Dumbledore did explain to me what was going on. He wanted to tell me how important it was that I mate with you... that it was part of some kind of contract. I don't know how things worked when you were alive, honestly it doesn't interest me. What I do know is that I have no desire to mate with someone I don't know, someone from a family that has only caused me problems._

_I go to school with your something-great-nephew, and I know that you have probably never met him... but he's a prat. His father has tried to kill me more than once, in fact not that long ago he and a bunch of his friends-Death Eaters tried to kill me. Dumbledore told me how you were different, and I did read your letter... but I don't know you._

_Until only a few months ago I thought that if I walk out of this war that I would marry a nice girl and have a family. I don't want this; I don't want to be some kind of spoils of war. I do however understand how important you could be to the war, that you could help us finally kill Voldemort. I'm willing to give you a chance, Lord Malfoy but I want you to prove yourself to me._

_Don't talk about destiny or fate, don't lie to me, and don't betray me. I know about you and my almost-godfather and if it happens again you can find yourself someone else. I want you to get to know me, and to let me know you. If this is going to work, then I need you to be honest with me._

_Not yet yours_

_Harry James Potter_

_p.s. Please don't let me regret this...'_

Once he was done reading, Spike nearly dropped the letter on the table, Harry James Potter... he knew that name. Pulling open one of the side-drawers that he had placed some of the files that the goblins gave to him Spike quickly glanced through. There however in writing was the same name as his mate. Harry James Potter... was also known as The-Boy-Who-Lived.

_'It figures... no wander the wolf was so concerned about the child... he's the bloody boy who lived. You know one of these days something will happen that doesn't ruin everything.'_

Groaning into his hands, William tried to make sense of what he could do next. There was no way that anyone would accept their Saviour being with a vampire, no matter how powerful. Not only was it going to be a media field day but The Dark Lord also could never know. Running his fingers through his hair, Spike tried to think of something that he could do to try make sense of it all.

Reading the letter once again that had fallen to his desk in his haste to get the goblin papers he let out a load groan. The first time he read it he had gotten side-tracked enough to miss the statement. His mate... Harry knew about the affair with the wolf. In one letter his mate had managed to make him come undone twice in a row. Leaning back on his chair Spike closed his eyes and began to think.

_'I know I don't want to ask this... but what else can go wrong?'_

It wasn't until almost night before anyone came to the house Harry had been in the library of all places at the time, after all with no television or anyone to play chess with his only other option was to read. Upon entering the house, Remus for a second believed that Harry had run away. There were no sounds, not even the squeaking of Kreatcher as he cleaned.

Carefully Remus made his way towards Harry's room to check to see if he was there. When he saw the room empty he decided to check the library before he called Albus. As he stood outside the doorway he looked in on Harry who was lounging in one of the chairs while reading. For a moment he just stood there, looking at the young boy he called his cub.

There was still so many things that they needed to talk about, things that needed to be worked out. As he was about to open his mouth to speak, Harry beat him to it. It broke Remus' heart to hear his cub sound so resigned to what he couldn't control. Without a second thought he went to Harry and kneeling down in front of him held his hands which had been resting on his lap, the book forgotten.

"I wrote to him. This morning when I woke up he sent me a letter, and I wrote back. Dumbledore explained that this needs to happen, that I need to give up who I chose to spend my life with... but I don't want this, Remus. I'm sixteen I shouldn't have to deal with this right now... I don't know what to do."

Looking up at the confused boy in front of him Remus swore to whoever was listening that he would help Harry in any way that he could.

"I know, cub... you have given up everything for this war and we still ask for more, it's not fair and it's not right. I wish I could tell you what to do, but I can't. If I could I would just take you away from all this, I would tell you to pack your things and we would move as far away as possible. But there is no portkey that would be able to take us far enough... I worry about you Harry. Until Voldemort is killed there is nothing that I do but worry about you."

Bringing his hand to Harry's face Remus smiled ever so slightly at the young man who had too much weight on his shoulders.

"But this man, this Lord Malfoy might just be the key that we have been looking for. Once this war is over, when your connection to Voldemort is severed you will be able to be free, Harry. I'm not saying that you have to bow down to this that you have to give up hope because this is your hope. Right now I'm not going to lie to you; Voldemort has more people, more resources and more motivation then The Order. No matter what Albus has been saying we are weak and completely unprepared for what lies ahead.

This vampire however, he knows. He's been around long enough to have seen war before, maybe not the kind that we are facing but the kind that tears countries apart. He's our best shot of getting inside the enemies minds, because at one point he was the enemy. He's got the killing instinct that The Order shies away from, and the political power to get away with it. If he wanted he could change whole divisions of the ministry and finally get The Order moving."

Seeing Harry start to close off emotionally from him, Remus continued on with his original statement.

"Don't give up, Harry... right now you hold all the cards. Albus will want your corporation; use that to your advantage. When the war is over, when we finally won then I promise you, Harry if you want we'll go to wherever you want to... but we have to finish this first."

For a moment Harry didn't say anything, and then very slowly he brought his eyes to meet Remus' before he spoke.

"Remus... are you telling me to string him along? To play along until the war is over then run?"

Shaking his head slightly Remus answered with all the desperation he felt.

"No Harry... I'm telling you to live."

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy the Vampire Slayer... damnit... also about the quote in the beginning, if this was really done by someone else please let me know but I don't remember reading it anywhere before. Thanks

If anyone is interested in being my beta for this fic please send me a pm or email.

With love

Mari-chan


	16. Chapter Sixteen

_Sometimes life doesn't give_

_The things we wish it would_

_But it does teach us to live_

_In the way that we should_

_With every punch it gives us_

_Every disappointed time_

_Shows us how to get through life_

_The mountain we must climb_

_Hopefully we will take those moments_

_And learn the best we can_

_Because through it we grow_

_From a child to man_

_In the end it's up to us_

_Not the punches that life throws_

_Up to us to fight back_

_Or accept fate's blows_

_Me, I chose to stand up_

_To make my life mine_

_Because I know that it's limited_

_That which we call time_

Chapter Sixteen

It had been a long two weeks. There had been messages and planning, coming up with a lesson plan and trying to get things in order. He had gone to no less than three meetings with Gringotts to sign papers and trying to get everything in order. He had been trying to arrange a meeting with Albus through it all and trying to find a way to prove himself to his mate. In his prolonged life Spike had never wished for 14 days to end quite so forcefully. Still he managed to get everything ready for The Order meeting that would once again be held in his home.

This time the children that were of age were invited as well, since he was now officially part of The Order he could be trusted with them. He had set up a few rooms that they could be in while the meeting took place, including the stables in case any of them know how to ride. The china was new and nothing was made of silver, in fact his whole mansion had been cleaned of any silver which was locked away in Gringotts. All of his darker artifacts that had been sent there as well, he didn't want to cause any mistrust between him and The Order this early in the game.

His robes were more casual, not having dressed up for the occasion. They were a deep green with a silver snake running up along the sides until the two heads came together at the clasp. Once again he waited at the fireplace for his company to arrive, and person by person he greeted them and had an elf lead them all to the meeting room. This room had also been set up to accommodate for the people that would be there. Once everyone had been ushered to the room which was set up with a few books and board games, Spike came to the room and nodded slightly.

Taking his spot in his chair, William noticed that everyone had a fresh cup of tea in front of them. He had instructed a small team of elves to get his guests anything they wished and to offer tea. This group was far larger than the last, and he could smell his mate everywhere. The scent was driving his senses insane however he managed to keep his calm and didn't even give the wolf a second glace. Seeing that most of the Weasleys were there put Spike slightly at ease, after all they only kept the two youngest children home.

Guiding his guests to the dining room for dinner he took his spot at the head of the table. Albus was the last to sit down at the other end of the table, directly across from him. He would be the head of The Order however Spike was not willing to give up the seat of power in his own home. Smiling slightly Spike spoke up to the crowd of people who were waiting for food.

"As I didn't know what everyone would prefer I had the elves cook up a selection of meals; we have roast, chicken and freshly caught salmon to choose from tonight. Simply speak what you want and the elves will magic it to your plate. Also please ask for as much as you like, the elves were very... enthusiastic to have someone to cook for tonight."

Albus was the first to order and took the option of chicken which was then magicked onto his plate. Following his example the others did the same choosing from the three meals that he had the elves prepare. Surprisingly Spike ate some roast as well, not wanting to seem rude although Blitsy was kind enough to fill a goblet of blood for him. Desert went the same way; he gave the options of chocolate cake, cheesecake and a parfait for them to choose from.

Two of the Weasley boys happy took one of each choice which made him smile slightly; it had been some time since he saw someone enjoy food like they did. Small talk was exchanged between his guests and himself, comments and questions about his home and his plans. He found out that the twins were just out of school and that they had started their own business, a joke shop that they crafted themselves. He also spoke with a young woman who would only go by her last name and who could change her appearance. How the wolf couldn't see the looks she was giving him he couldn't say.

Once everyone was done eating and dinner cleared away Spike was about to escort the group to the meeting room he had prepared when Albus spoke. "Thank you very much Lord Malfoy, although the elves at Hogwarts are very good at their jobs I must say yours are exceptional. I have not had a meal prepared that well in a long time."

Nodding his head slightly Spike smirked at the praise of his workers, knowing that Blitsy would be within hearing distance and would spread the word to the other elves. Hearing the slight pop of her leaving the room, Spike cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. Looking at the two youngest boys Spike wondered if they would be attending the meeting as well, deciding to simply ask he spoke to Albus.

"As I was under the impression by your letter that there would be more under the age of majority attending I had some rooms prepared. Will the youngest be in attendance as well? If so I would like to inform the elves that they can take the afternoon off."

There was a slight twinkle in Albus' eyes about the mention that he had prepared for the children that were not in attendance. He had known that his letter would indicate that there would be a few children coming to see the manor. The youngest of the children had decided to stay back with Harry and comfort him in what was now Order knowledge about their mating.

"It seems that the children had wanted to stay behind this evening to stay with their friend. He has a great many things to accept and think about right now and they wished him not to think that he was alone."

The words were meant to be an explanation, to make sure that Spike knew why he indicated that there would be more children. Spike however could hear the slight that he made at Spike's expense. Inside of those words was a reminder that there was somebody else with his mate right now, comforting him about the life he would have to live. It was a reminder that his mate did not chose him, would not have chosen him if he had been given a choice at all. The realization made him feel like his heart fell to his feet and an ache became known to him, one he knew would never be filled.

No matter what happened, no matter how he tried to prove himself to the young man there would always be doubt. Inside of his own thoughts, inside his mind Spike knew he would always wonder if his mate was happy. He would never be secure in the knowledge that he mate wanted him as well. Eventually there was the chance, the likelihood that it would drive him insane, would make him mad with longing and shame. Had Spike been another creature whose mate had not chosen to be with them, he probably would have killed himself so his mate could be free.

Spike however was not just any vampire, and although he felt incomplete, doubtful and knew that he was a touch insane he knew how to push it away. This would not be the first or second time that he was only tolerated because of circumstance, and he knew that it would not be the last. A vampire however did not live through his trails, through his torments and loss without knowing how to deal with it. Instead of mentioning the comment, the unspoken words that the old man spoke, Spike merely nodded his head.

Standing, Spike gave a slight smile before he gestured to the rest of his guests. With a "follow me then to the meeting room" they all at once stood and made their way behind him to the room he had prepared. Inside of the room was another table, this one was oval shaped and large enough to fit twenty-five to thirty people comfortably. Although his ancestors had liked the idea of King Arthur and the round table no self-respecting pure-blood would allow their alliances to think them below or on equal ground.

Taking one of the chairs at the slightly-higher position Albus once again sat at the other end of power. Others spread out along the table, and although there was no enough to fill it there was no major space between him and the others. Leaning back slightly in his chair, Spike called Blitsy to him and asked her to inform the elves that they could take the rest of the night off. Turning back to Albus Spike nodded his head slightly in his direction; he was ready now to leave the table to the head of The Order.

Clearing his throat slightly, Albus began to speak which caused the ones who had been talking to silence themselves. "Thank you Lord Malfoy for allowing us the use of your home for this meeting, I hope that we do not keep you too long as I am sure you are still busy from your return. I call this meeting of The Order of the Phoenix in session. Remus, how is your progress going with asking the werewolf packs to side with us in the upcoming war?"

"So far out of the three packs I have asked only one has given me an answer, which was no. You-Know-Who has been offering to give the packs more forest to hunt in and the opportunity to have a village of their own away from society. With the way that wizards have been treating them they don't want to help, instead they seem to favour the option of leaving the Wizarding world almost completely. The other two packs although they wish to be away from wizards are willing to stay neural but will not fight for us yet until they see some progress being made in werewolf rights. Umbridge made it extremely hard for werewolves to be in the Wizarding world at any time instead of just around the full moon and in turn they are now turning their backs to us.

Greyback is still an unmarked follower of the dark. He has been trying to convince packs to join Voldemort and I have confirmed that he now has at least two packs with him now along with his own. It will be hard to convince any werewolves to join with the laws being past to restrict their lives or even the newest whispers of a bill that will make them register."

Having said his piece, Remus who had leaned forward while speaking relaxed back into his chair as much as possible. The ministry was making it harder and harder for the light to get any kind of ground for the werewolves to join. After the first war they had been told that they would have been able to go into the streets without shame of what they were. Fudge however had changed any laws that they had gained to harm werewolves instead of helping them.

Looking around the room, Spike saw that the faces of the people who had been happily eating not ten minutes ago now looked grim. Running a hand through his hair Spike tried to think of something that would help. Catching Spike's eye Albus spoke directly to him across the table. "I understand that your race has never gotten along with the werewolf population however do you hold any sway over them?"

The whole Order looked at him now, making Spike sigh slightly in defeat. Opening his mouth to tell them no Spike stopped. Glancing slightly to Remus and seeing his defeated look he thought back to his interactions with the werewolves he met before. Nodding his head slightly he spoke to Remus.

"The packs that you have asked, they know that you are a member of The Order don't they?" Seeing Remus' nod Spike then turned to Albus. "During the last war did you manage to get the alliance of any packs?" again seeing a nod from the wizard Spike tapped his lip with his index finger. "I take it that since things are going badly for the werewolves they have lost any trust they had with you, after all they are wild not stupid. Remus was it you that recruited the werewolves in the last war?"

"Yes, last time I managed to get five packs to side with the light. Voldemort only managed to get Greyback since he promised him more bloodshed but most just wanted to live in peace with wizards. When the promises didn't come true however... most of them won't even let me near them."

Smiling slightly at the information Spike nodded his own head in agreement. "So the problem isn't necessarily with The Order, it's with the delivery. Since you were the one who asked them the first time around chances are that even if new laws were passed in their favour they still wouldn't side with the wolf that betrayed them. It's not in the product it's in the delivery system. I take it however that you are the only werewolf trusted to try and recruit others?" turning to Albus this time Spike saw his nod before he continued.

"No matter what you promise or accomplish at this point no werewolf pack is going to side with you, they aren't going to trust The Order or Remus since that trust was broken before." Seeing the resignation and the defeat in the eyes of everyone else at the table Spike smirked slightly. "So what you need to get more alliances is a new recruiter, that and a new foundation even if only in name to propose as the correct choice."

"Yes, I also came to this conclusion however at the current time Remus is our only willing werewolf. We could change the name of The Order at least when we recruit however there is no other werewolf that can do the task."

Shaking his head slightly Spike continued speaking once Albus was done. "Changing the name wouldn't be enough; you would need to change the figure-head as well if you wish to build trust. I would suggest that you use my mate as the inspiration for them to trust The Order; your image has been spoilt among some who did not get what was promised however his image is still free from betrayal. Also you brought me into The Order for my power, influence and connections but yet you haven't yet even_ asked_ me if I knew of someone who would help."

Those around the table seemed to have looks of shock across their faces, even Albus at his last sentence. It was well known even in the muggle world that you didn't mix a vampire and werewolf. Remus was an exception as he didn't accept his wolf even during his "human" time and tried to be "normal". Spike however made it no secret that he had been a threat before he came back home, and as such they had all assumed that he hunted werewolves as well.

"Well do you know of a werewolf that would be willing to help us?" asked Albus once he got over his slight shock.

"I know of one werewolf that would be willing to help fight against the dark with slim-to-none odds. I will have to locate him however as last I saw he was travelling the world trying to solve his lunar problem."

"We would be grateful if you would get in contact with this werewolf of yours. Thank you for the suggestion and I will speak to_ him_ about using his name as incentive as well." replied Albus before they continued on with the meeting.

The next two hours Spike could have lived without; after all there was nothing more for him to do. Sure he added a comment or suggestion every now and then when he knew how to solve of their issues but nothing excising happened. Those that had questioned letting him in before however seemed to somewhat except him now. By the end of the meeting he had helped them at least have more options on several tasks that before hadn't been going anywhere. It was not a guarantee that they would work but having a new head in the meeting had seemed to do some good.

Once the meeting had come to a close Spike felt relief that it was over, at least for him. He had no delusions that at least some of the others would gather later that night and tell Albus what they thought of him. Spike bit his lip slightly to keep himself from asking the other wizard if he passed his test instead he walked everyone to the floo and thanked them one by one for coming to his home. Albus was the last to leave but neither said a word besides a pleasant goodbye before Spike found himself alone.

As the fire burnt out Spike sighed to himself and made his way back to his room. Stripping as he went into his bathroom and turned on the shower to as hot as he could before stepping inside of the water. The heat of the water slowly made his body relax while he scrubbed himself clean. When he was done he turned off the shower and waved his hand slightly too wordlessly and wandlessly dry himself from the water before he walked naked into his bedroom. Ignoring the paperwork he could see on his desk Spike instead let himself jump into the bed face-first and groaned.

It had been a stressful meeting, but he felt good about what he had done. He had managed to solve some problems which would get him into the good graces of the head of The Order. In turn he hoped that he would soon be able to see his mate, after all it was the elderly wizard that made the rules about his young mate. Curling slightly around his pillow Spike didn't even bother pulling a blanket over himself before he slowly drifted off to sleep.

While he slept Blitsy being the ever helpful house-elf made her way into his room. Smiling fondly at her master the house-elf took a spare blanket which was folded at the end of the bed and pulled it over her master's sleeping body. Looking at her master Blitsy knew that he was hurting; she had heard what the old wrinkly one had implied at dinner, she was after all a very smart elf. Her master wanted his mate to love him, wanted his mate to know him. Her master wanted his mate. Seeing her master now holding the pillow and frowning in his sleep Blitsy promised herself that she would help her master be happy. Master's mate didn't know how good, how kind master was... and maybe she could help master get master's mate. After all she was a very good and smart elf, Master William told her so and master doesn't lie.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I do not make any money from this story. But I do own the poem used in the beginning and I do have the right to make money off of it should someone wish to pay me :P

A/N: I want to thank you all for reading this chapter ^_^ and this story! I'm not going to say when the next chapter will be up, in all honesty I don't really know. I do hope that it will not be so long of a wait as this one was however.

In other news I have another story which is being worked on as well it is being posted under The Silver, Golden Boy. I wrote it originally back in '04 or '05 but am re-posting it after changing it up under it's original name.

With love,

Mari-chan


	17. Chapter Seventeen

_Sometimes I wonder_

_What life would be like?_

_Without you_

_Sometimes I wonder_

_What living would be?_

_Without you_

_In those moments_

_The loss overwhelms me_

_And I start to cry_

_Just the thought of_

_Losing you_

_Makes me die inside_

_So please never leave_

_Never throw my love away_

_Because I live for you_

_My soul is yours_

Chapter Seventeen

The next morning after the meeting with The Order caused a few problems for Spike. To start off with he had no idea how to even begin looking for the werewolf he said he would contact. Secondly he still didn't know how he could get in contact with his mate, let alone speak with him. And lastly it was brought to his attention the night before that he had some people to speak with. The war would not solve itself, would not burn itself out without some help, help that he would have to provide.

There was still a list of people, a list of creatures that he didn't mention to The Order or Albus. Like any Slytherin he kept his contacts and secrets close to his chest, but at this point in the game that may hurt him. He had made a step forward about Oz but only after he was asked. If he was to give a good impression he would need to start being proactive in giving away information. Turning over onto his back in his large bed, Spike sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Angelus was a must; there was no way that he could make the vampires follow the light without him. He would need to contact his Grand-sire soon so that he could arrange to leave once the war broke out. Hopefully he would be able to bring some demons with him, after all if he remembered correctly he worked with some now. Next he would need to at least try and contact Drusilla. As much as he didn't want anything to do with the woman around his human mate she did have a following of her own.

The hardest part would be contacting the slayer. There was a chance, a small one that she would be happy to help but with him not contacting her sooner he doubted it. Along with her she might bring another new-slayer or two to help. Sighing once again Spike wondered at the brilliance of asking a bunch of vampire-slayers come help out with a gathering of vampires. There was also no doubt that if Buffy came so would her little witch and that could cause havoc with his whole world.

If Willow was left alone in a magical school for any length of time, or even in the magical world at all she might relapse. There was a chance, a rather large one that she might lose herself in the magic. His main problem however was them finding out about his own magic, after all he could have helped the witch if he had magic right? What would they think of him just sitting back when he knew more magic then the witch could dream of? What would they think of him merely waving a wand and completing a spell where she needed to focus for hours at times?

There was no way for him to even guess at what they would do, what they would say to him. Anger for sure was going to be there, they would of course yell at him but what else? Would they perhaps not help him once they found out about his own magic? Sitting up, Spike climbed out of bed and grabbed a silk robe that was hanging off one of the posters of his bed. Wrapping the robe around him Spike deciding to deal with one thing at a time. Sitting down at his desk he got out a piece of parchment and starting to write a letter to Oz.

_'Dear Wolf-boy,_

_How goes your little moon problem? I hope you found a way to make you less... insane as you howl at the moon. If you haven't guessed it's me Spike. Now just wait, before you toss this letter in a fire somewhere or rip it listen... err... read up. I need your help. Yeah, I'm serious laugh all you want but I need your help. Do I have your attention now? Good. You see I'm back home back in Merry Ol' England and I'm in a bit of a tight spot. Back where I'm from there is a bit of a small war going on. There's the light side and dark sight like any other war but I'm smack dab in the middle of it._

_I bet with you being furry once a month you probably heard rumours of another world, once that your old girlfriend would have dreamed of. If you have you can skip the next bit, if not then please read carefully 'cause I'm only explaining this once. Hidden in the shadows of the regular world, one where there's only normal people and normal problems is another world. This one is purely magic, with people who wave around wands and wear robes and pointy hats and everything. We even have a sport that is played on flying brooms. Before you ask no I am not joking, I am not shitting you I am serious, as serious as a vampire can be._

_This world that is made of only magic-users is originally named the Wizarding World. Okay so maybe not so original but it works, and you being a "magical creature" and all get to know about it. Now as I'm sure you noticed I did say we, I myself was born into this world back when I was all flesh and blood human. My name back then was William Malfoy and my family could trace our history back over a thousand years of only magic-users. I was the heir to my family, set to inherit a fortune that would make you pant over yourself. But then a met Dru, she turned me and the rest you know._

_Now after blowing myself up to bits to help out Buffy and the Scoobies I'm back here in this world I originally came from. And I. Need. Your. Help. You see here in this world we divide people by their blood, by how much magic a family has. Me being from two magical parents who can trace their history back to more magical parents am what you would call a pure-blood meaning that my blood is... was pure of any non-magical blood. We are the ones with the money, with the positions of power and the legacy to pass down._

_There's also what's called a half-blood someone who's from a magical and non-magical family. For example if my mom was non-magical and my dad was from a magical heritage I would be a half-blood. Or if my mom was the only witch in her family and my dad was from a magical family then I would also be called a half-blood because of my mom. You follow? Now let's go on the theory that my mom was the only one in her family to have magic, she would be called a muggle-born or mudblood (although this term is deemed an insult now apparently). These are people of the lowest on the political pole._

_We also have muggles, what we call people with no magic what so ever, humans with no magical potential. There are also squibs who are people from a magical family but with no magic themselves... they are normally killed or disowned at birth. Now let's get back to my problem. In this world right now there's a guy who calls himself the Dark Lord... so we aren't the most original people for naming things. Anyways he wants all the muggle-borns and muggles dead. He wants to slaughter them all and make pure-bloods the only ones with any kind of power. I'm sure he has a plan for half-bloods as well but I couldn't really care._

_Now normally I just wouldn't care, wouldn't involve myself at all. But you see after I got myself blown to bits The Powers That Be kind of brought me back. When they did that they gave me a mate, as a werewolf you know how that is, don't you? Well my mate happens to be the damn messiah of the light side of this world. So you see why I'm involved? Now how I need your help is that right now the light is trying to get some more wolves to join their cause, trying to get them to help out on the war that's to come. Being that they didn't get what they wanted the last war they won't even talk to the wolf they sent out to recruit them._

_I need you to help them gather as many wolf packs as you can, or at least to make them stay away from the dark. I need you to ask them to come join the light in this war, to aid them and in return we will help them as well. Last time they didn't have someone of a powerful line to make sure that their concerns got heard, that they were rewarded for their help. Last time they didn't have me. Now if you agree just take the necklace that I sent with this and say "Willow". The necklace is magical and will bring you to my home, as a note if you get this close to the moon please don't wait I have a cellar that you can stay in for the night._

_I really need your help on this Oz, and if you want... we can see about getting Buffy to help out too. You know that where she goes your ex-girlfriend is bound to show up... but that's your call. Would also like to mention your ex lost her girlfriend so you might be able to swing that as well._

_Hope to see you soon wolf-boy,_

_Spike_

_p.s. Wizards have a potion that lets you keep your mind when you transform maybe it will help your quest. '_

Looking down at the pages of parchment Spike wondered if he would do it, if the wolf would help him. They had never seen eye to eye, with them trying to kill each other and all but he was still one of the good guys. Deciding that there was nothing more that he could really say or do, Spike sealed the letter with the Malfoy crest and whistled for Allah.

In only a moment Spike felt Allah rest on his shoulder, having appeared from wherever he had been before. Moving his hand so that the phoenix could perch on his wrist he brought Allah around to face him. Looking at the strong creature before him, Spike wondered how he was gifted with such a beauty. Holding the envelope he held it out to the bird. Speaking softly he looked directly into his eyes while he spoke.

"Listen I don't know if you will be able to deliver this letter and if you can't just let me know. I don't even know the full name of the person I want to send this to, nor do I know where they are. It's to go to a werewolf by the name of Oz. He's small and will not be a part of a pack; he's a loner and is trying to from a cure for his curse, trying to fight his wolf. Do you think you can find him?"

It took a few moments for Allah to respond, however when he did he held out his leg to have the letter tied to it. Taking a small piece of twine Spike carefully tied the letter to his leg and watched as the phoenix flew outside of his bedroom window. He hoped that Allah would be able to find the wolf even though he doubted that the wolf would help. Sighing Spike leaned back in the chair and thought about his next move, he could use this time to try and contact someone else but a large part of him wanted to wait until he had to.

Standing up from his spot, Spike was slightly startled when he turned and saw Blitsy behind him. The small elf was looking at him strangely but he brushed if off when he addressed her.

"Was there something you need Blitsy?"

"Blitsy come to ask Master William if he wanted to wear clothes now that he's be up?" Seeing Spike nod his head slightly the small elf got come clothes out for her master while Spike stripped off his robe. While he dressed Blitsy fixed his hair before she left the room once that was done. Spike assumed that she left to tend to more of her duties as head-elf and thought nothing of the appearance of his elf. Nor did he notice the parchment and self-inking quill that was missing.

***~*~**~**~~ Somewhere in Malfoy Manor ~*~*~*~*~***

Blitsy hid in her room, something she was given as a head-elf and had never really appreciated until now. Having heard what Master had asked of his pretty bird Blitsy had thought of what she could do for Master. Master had wanted the pretty bird to find someone that was very hard to find, and although she thought that the pretty bird could do it she knew it was the pretty bird that had been sending letters to Master's Mate. With the pretty bird gone now he would have no letters to send Master's Mate.

Master never asked for much of Blitsy and the staff, and being head-elf and able to leave the manor meant she knew how most masters were. She had seen elves beaten and starved and their masters not care had even seen one die once by their master. But her master was special; he cared about her and the other elves. Nobody was hurt in his home unless it was an accident and she was the only one who saw that was not the case with other masters. Now that Master needed her help though he didn't ask for it, didn't think to ask her to help him get Master's Mate to love Master.

Blitsy was the only one, she knew that could help, that could leave the house without Master wondering why. Blitsy had also seen how Master's Mate was with elves; he was kind... kinder then most boys his age. He had even saved an elf from a mean master, from the one who was causing her master grief now. Master's Mate would surely love Master if he knew that Master did not hurt elves too! Slowly so that she would get the letter right, Blitsy wrote to Master's Mate. When she was done it was nearly dark but she still read the letter over to make sure that it was okay.

_'Master's Mate,_

_My name Blitsy and I wanted to tell you about Master. I am the Head Elf for Master Malfoy, and I see things other elves do not. When Blitsy goes to the market to buy things that Master needs I see how other elves are hurt. I see how not-Master's elves are kicked and beaten and killed and no wizard cares. I hear things too, about how Master's Mate saved an elf, how you helped the elf. I thought about how sad Master was when the wrinkled man said that Master's Mate never love Master, how he never would of__(1)__ chosen him. I thought about how to make Master's Mate see that Master is good, and caring._

_Master helps his elves too; he gives us food and a uniform. He help Blitsy read and write and give us all the food we want. Master makes sure that no wizard or witch hurt us that we are allowed to make them leave if they do. Master made us promise to ask him for help, to take breaks, to stay safe. Master does not ask for much, he asks for us not to lie, to be honest... he asks for us to be happy. Master doesn't ask for Blitsy to help, to speak to Master's Mate but Blitsy wants Master to be happy... for Master to smile again like he did when he was little._

_If Master and Master's mate care about elves when no other wizard does... can Master and Master's Mate not care about each other too?_

_Blitsy_

_Head House Elf_

_p.s. Please do not tell Master about this letter... Master would be very disappointed in Blitsy if he knew.'_

Smiling to herself, Blitsy folded the parchment and made her way to where she could feel Master's black bird was. Finding the black bird sitting by a window she held out the parchment to the black bird and spoke very softly in case someone was around.

"Blitsy asks that Master's black bird take letter to Master's Mate. Master's Mate must know how good Master is so that he will love Master. Will you help Blitsy help Master?"

With a soft caw black bird took the letter in her beak and took off out of the window. As she was watching black bird fly away to deliver the letter, Blitsy hoped that Master's Mate was as kind as she was told. Hopefully her letter would help Master in courting his mate. Humming slightly Blitsy started to go back to work, after all she had used up most of the day writing to Master's Mate because she was a good house elf.

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer... if I did Spike would be mine people!

A/N:Well this is chapter 17... pretty exciting isn't it? Well lets see how Blitsy's letter is received in the next chapter! And what about Oz? This is getting too exciting to write, I just can't wait to see what happens... what you didn't think I knew did you? :P

Also just so that you know the (1) Was because I do know that it is supposed to be "would have" however as a small child I had that problem all the time and I think it would be a mistake that a house-elf would make. Thank you ^_^

With love,

Mari-chan


	18. Chapter Eighteen

_Parfois il y a une personne_

_Une personne qui_

_Même sans essey_

_Change vos monde_

Chapter Eighteen

Throughout the history of wizard-kind they had used birds to bring letters back and forth. Normally they would use an owl, and rightfully so as owls understand basic instruction and instinctively know where a letter should go. For more sensitive mail sometimes other means would be used, such as a trusted person but most letters travelled through the air. Even muggles at one point used this means; carrier pigeons use to bring people their news. If one was lucky enough they would be graced by a delivery by one of those most noble of creatures, the phoenix.

Very few wizards had a phoenix, not just because they were rare but because it was well known that like a wizard's wand, the phoenix chose the wizard. And just like their wands it was never really clear why. Why would some phoenix chose to stay inside their egg, stay alone and vulnerable to the outside world instead of bonding with the first wizard that came by? Sometimes they would hide away for centuries until the right wizard would claim their egg, being passed down from one generation to the next hoping that someday they would hatch.

Throughout the history of wizard-kind there has only ever been a handful of phoenix awake at the same time. Normally in the same country no more than two at a time and even that was rare. Still it was considered an honor to have one a phoenix chose a wizard to be their bond-wizard. Once their bond-wizard died it was assumed they died as well, very few wizards knew that once the wizard dies the phoenix was reverted back to their egg form.

It was because of this link, this life-bond that the phoenix had to choose very carefully who they bonded with. First they would still in their egg, read the person's emotions; were they hateful? Did they seek power? Were they kind? Did they wish for love? These feelings, these needs were all easily accessed by the phoenix inside their own protective shell. After their initial search they would either pass off the human or dig deeper, allow the wizard to touch their egg to gain more knowledge. Then from there they would choose if they wished to hatch or not.

Sometimes it took years of searching, of figuring out if this wizard was the one for them before they hatched. Some phoenixes that were still young might wait too long and only have a few short years with their wizard. Some chose too early and were stuck of living with someone that did not suit them. The trick was something each phoenix would have to discover for themselves, was how much their wizard was willing to give. Not to the phoenix but to those they loved those that they had taken into their hearts and those who had harmed them.

Allah was a smart phoenix; he had bonded only a handful of times before. And this time he knew he had finally chosen correctly to hatch for one William Malfoy. Sure he knew that others would have backed away from the vampire, knowing that they thirsted only for blood which was bad taste for a phoenix but he dug deeper. When William had touched his egg he had felt the pain the vampire had been in, the lingering rejection of his chosen and how much he gave. He knew of the sacrifice he had given to make sure his slayer had been safe, the same one who hurt him so many times.

With his short time with the vampire he had felt what the man was still willing to give for even the chance of happiness. He was willing to fight a war, to allow others to use him in order for the chance, the very small chance of love. The Powers That Be may have given him a mate but the chances of that mate loving him back were still small, and yet his master fought. Yes Allah believed that he had finally chosen right in his master, in his bond-wizard even if that wizard would never die. It had been a risk, he knew when he made his choice that he could be stuck to a horrible master forever as he was a vampire... but things would turn out he was sure.

As Allah gracefully flew to where he sensed the werewolf his master wished to speak with, he let go a happy thrill. His master was the correct choice, was the one that he would not regret waiting for. So what if his brother had the legendary wizard Dumbledore as his bond-master? He knew his master would be a legend as well. Perhaps it would take time but The Powers would not have given his master a mate in The-Boy-Who-Lived if there was not something there, a speck of potential.

Yes, his master would be great if given the chance... and he would be there beside him as his master out-shines the world. He would be faithfully by his side as his master; his vampire becomes the greatest wizard known. Gliding through the air Allah gave the phoenix equivalent of a smile, his master would be great after all he had a phoenix by his side.

***~*~ Back With Spike *~*~**

For three days, Spike waited for Allah to come back to him. His correspondence between him and his mate seemed to end at some point during that time. He wrote to the young wizard again, this time giving him a small gift of a pendant which was woven with protective spells. It had been found in his personal vault, something that his ancestors had either ordered or made themselves to protect either their lover or their heir. There was no note, only the magic open for him to decipher. The pendant he knew would be worth a small fortune but he didn't mind giving it to his mate, nothing was too much or too expensive for his young human.

After he sent that letter and package he didn't hear back from the young wizard at first he thought that it was too much, that he was perhaps moving too fast for the young man... now he was merely hurt. Normally he would hear back from his mate the next day, two days at most but he had sent the pendant right after Allah left with Princess and there was still no word from either bird. Princess had been told to let no other except his mate touch him, to wait until the young man was ready to write back and wait with him.

Deciding that there was no point in wasting his time doing nothing, Spike instead used it to get in contact with a few of his more shady contacts. He had managed to write to a few magical vampires that he knew, using a few rented owls he branched out his correspondence to cover as many as he could from both of his lives. Finally after his hand was cramped up and his list was dwindled he sent the letters to be given to the owls he rented leaning back in the chair he had been using Spike stretched himself out.

There was only another week to go before the start of class, one more week before he would be able to finally see his mate. With the school year almost there, The Order had another meeting, this one would once again be held in his home. He knew now like he knew before that his mate would not be there, that they would not risk him until he proved himself. The only thing he could do right now would be to get Oz on his side in order to be accepted fully... and right now he didn't know where the wolf was.

Glancing at the clock he noticed that he wouldn't have much longer before he would have to greet his guests. Standing up he moved to his closet and picked out some of the more formal wear than what he would wear normally in his home and easily changed into it. The robes where a deep black and made of fine silk which hung around his body loosely, there was a very fine silver that ran up the sides making a very fine design of roses. It was unexpected when he received it a few days ago, expecting snakes however he found that it suited him.

Walking down to meet his guests, Spike looked to the window one more time, hoping that he would see either his phoenix or his raven but was left disappointed. Running a hand through his hair, he plastered on a fake smile and waited for the games to begin again. Dumbledore as usual was the first one to arrive and unexpectedly said that he would wait for everyone to come through before he went to the sitting room. Shrugging it off, Spike watched and greeted one by one as the members came into his home, a home he knew they would judge despite its perfection.

The Weasleys seemed hesitant for some reason, something that made a sharp pang in his undead heart. The wolf was there once again, and to his surprise the youngest two Weasleys came through the fireplace as well. They also did not move to the sitting room which he did not comment on, all of a sudden he felt his body freeze as through his fireplace came the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. His hair was a deep midnight black, a colour he knew was obtained from his father. His features were small, a small frame that didn't fit from what he had found out about the features of the boys parents... it was a look of malnutrition. His robes were the ones that William had given him in hopes that he could go to the ball earlier, a sharp black and emerald mix that he knew would bring out his eyes.

His eyes, oh his eyes. William had known that they would be green, the same as the young man's mothers but nobody could say_ how_ green they were. It was if they were the most precious emeralds staring at him, looking at him with a hesitant fear. Even beyond the glasses, a gift he knew was inherited from his father they could not hide the most amazing eyes he had seen in his life. For what seemed like hours, Spike let himself get lost in the young man's gaze however it must have only been a few seconds before he smelt it. If his eyes were enough to stop him from being able to move, the sent nearly drove him into action, an action he knew he would regret.

With his magic hyper aware around his mate, a side-effect he didn't know about he could _feel_ the others raise their wands. His mouth was partially open, enough for them to see his elongated fangs that were begging for the chance to mark their mate, to show that he was claimed. His erection was straining against his pants making him thank The Powers That Be for robes, as everything in his body and distant soul was telling him to claim what was his. If not for his exposure to his sent before, Spike was sure that he would have attacked the one person he should never harm.

Closing his eyes, he breathed in the sweet and intoxicating sent for a few moments to get his body use to the smell. There was no kind of relief from his self-torture only a burning through his blood. Still he managed to at least bring his fangs back to normal human teeth and calmed his probably glowing eyes. Eventually through several long and excruciating minutes he calmed his body down so that his fists that he hadn't realized were clenched relaxed. There was a slight dribble of blood from his hands where his enlarged claws had impaled his skin but he could already feel it healing.

Still nobody made a sound, not a peep was heard from anywhere in the house, and slowly ever so slowly he opened his eyes. Here standing before him was his mate, the one person in the world that The Powers had felt belonged to him... and he was acting like a complete monster. Now that he managed to calm himself down enough to speak to the young man before him, Spike didn't know what he should say. Should he invite him to his home? Should he beg for his forgiveness for the episode his just witnessed? Should he comment on the fact that he was wearing the robes which he bought for him, or complement his form? Instead his mouth seemed to work without his consent and spoke what was on the front of his mind, regardless of his thoughtful input.

"Welcome luv, to Malfoy Manor."

Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I owned Buffy The Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter... **I make no profit from writing this story** if I did I would be beyond rich.

A/N: Hello everyone, I just wanted to mention that a lot of you have been unhappy with Spike being for lack of a better word, submissive to Dumbles and The Order. Although this will eventually change it's not going to be for a while, Spike doesn't know how invested Harry is in Dumbles campaign and doesn't want to rock the boat until Harry tells him otherwise.

This is not an evil Dumbledore story, although I do love writing those. In this one Dumbledore does care for Harry and is willing to protect him. Also I will not be bashing anyone (okay there might be some Ginny bashing but I can't help that) Please remember that Harry is only a just-seventeen year old that is confused about a lot, including his sexuality and who to trust.

With love,

Mari-chan


	19. Chapter Ninteen

_Sometimes your whole life changes_

_In just one moment_

_Everything is new again_

_It's in this moment of time_

_That you realize that nothing else_

_Could ever have been_

Chapter Nineteen

William wouldn't be able to, with the incentive of never feeling pain again be able to tell you how he managed to get enough words in to lead everyone to the dining room. If you begged him he could not tell you how he stopped himself from touching his mate, while he walked a step behind him the whole while. If Drusilla asked he would not be able to tell her how he managed to sit and sip on his blood while the others ate around him. All that he would be able to tell anyone was that somewhere between the fireplace his his table he fell in love. It was nothing like the love he thought he felt before, nothing like the long nights of denial and eventual acceptance. There was hardly any time between "Hello" and love, he had never thought himself a believer in love at first sight but he knew now that he was wrong, so very wrong.

There was no slow pinning for the man, no restless nights trying to figure out how to get them out of his head. There was no doubt, no denial that he could never love the one before him, no guessing. In a few moments he fell helplessly and completely in love, in a way that should have scared him but only filled him with such... peace. There was something to be said about the mating habits of magical creatures if this was the result of only a few moments. Somehow he instantly knew that everything; every heartbreak, every moment of self-loathing, of hate, of pain, of pleasure was to bring him to this moment of time.

After meeting his mate, without said mate even speaking he would never be able to move from this moment. There was nothing that he could do which could change how he felt, could change the love he knew would last the rest of his time on this Earth. Oh, he knew that his mate did not feel the same... how could he? A human heart was not made to feel as intensely, as completely as he did right in this moment of time. A human love was fickle, would wonder from person to person if given the chance and was never as solid as they liked to believe in those who married for years could eventually break their love. A human love could end when the other dies, when they grow older, when they expand their family but Spike knew that his never would regardless of how his life plays before him.

Sitting while drinking his blood inside of his dark glass as not to make those around him squeamish he noticed that the others were finishing their meals. Blitsy ever the diligent house elf came with a small bow and snapped her fingers to clear away the plates, giving him a nervous smile before popping out silently. Still with only half of his mind on the task of hand, Spike tore his gaze away from his mate, the only creature he had looked at since his arrival when Dumbledore spoke. Still keeping his mate visible in the corner of his eye, Spike noticed how his mate seemed to relax slightly now that he wasn't staring at him.

"Today we are to formally greet three new members in The Order. Although just turning of age, the three of them have been working to help in the fight against Lord Voldemort since their first year and for one much earlier. Please allow me to formally introduce Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter into The Order of the Phoenix."

There was an enthusiastic clapping around the table however Spike did not move his hands. Looking at Molly Weasley he caught her eye and nodded slightly to her as she was the only one not clapping. It seemed that the mother of the youngest understood the gravity of someone so young being forced to fight... and the odds of them saying children for much longer had changed so drastically. It was with a new sense of clarity that Spike realized how quickly he would need to act to finish this war in order to save his mate, he had no dominance, no ground in which to forbid his love from fighting and as such instead he would need to do so slyly but quickly.

It seemed as though there was no longer any time for him to plan to seduce his mate, instead his focus should be on ending the war and nothing else. Knowing that his hands were tied he finally allowed himself to make a mental note of what he needed to do. He needed to write to his grand-sire as quickly as possible. Once Princess came back he would have to send a letter to one of the very people he wished to avoid at all costs. Hearing someone clear their throat Spike nearly growled at the wolf as he was forced back into the present and back to the people in his home.

Seeing that Albus was looking at him with a damn twinkle of all things in his eyes he assumed that he was being asked a question. Trying to think back he came up with nothing and instead shrugged his shoulders with a slight smile. He didn't have a clue what was being asked.

"Sorry Albus, must be my age getting at me... what were you sayin'?" Hearing the light chuckles from the room, Spike sighed internally as they let his slip-up slide.

"Think nothing of it, my boy... I was merely asking if you have any progress about your friend."

Thinking about it, Spike wondering how much longer it would be for Allah to find Oz, or if he was even alive to find. Deciding it was better to leave that last part out, Spike answered the best that he could.

"I sent Allah, my phoenix to find him, but I don't know where he is at the moment to know when Allah should be back. Last I heard he was off trying to find a cure for his monthly problem, once he listens to me he will be willing to fight the good fight. I also decided to reach out to a few other contacts earlier today, I should be hearing back from them in a few days' time if not sooner. I suspect that in the next few days, as soon as they hear word you will find that the Dark Lord will have almost none of his vampire followers."

Seeing the look of disbelief on the others faces he was only slightly startled when one of the men he didn't know that well with a fake eye spoke. "You can't expect us to believe that! Dark creatures frolic to the Dark Lord and no matter what you say to the young ones and The Ministry I will not be fooled. There is nothing you a mere vampire can say in a letter to change their loyalty to someone so powerful."

Shaking his head slightly Spike sighed before he ran his hand through his hair in a move to regain self-control. "You're right" the look of disappointment and triumph were ignored as he continued. "There is no mere vampire that on his word alone could move armies. Vampires don't respect loyalty and they don't follow people without cause, however you are forgetting one thing. I am no mere vampire; I am a master vampire, the elite of my kind. Here in my homeland I am known amongst our kind as a legend, something that they only whisper about. The only two that can claim to have more of a title than my own are my sire and grand-sire."

Looking up, Spike met the eye of the one that questioned him in front of his mate, and whispered in a forceful tone. "The vampires may be dark creatures... but they will listen to me."

Albus it seemed was waiting for his self-deceleration and title as he smiled brightly at him now. There were still disbelieving gazes directed his way but he didn't care, the vast majority of those that were until the control of the Dark Lord were harmless sheep. They would disband if he told them to, even without proof of who he was, but he sent a vial of his own blood that would prove to them that he was back. With Dru and Angel out of the country, at least for now that left him being top vamp. There would be a few, maybe a handful of vampires who had spent their time working up the ranks that would want to stay where they are and that would be fine... but the majority would be his.

"What would they want in return for fighting for us?"

The voice that spoke nearly made him fall over from the sweetness of the sound. He didn't have to look to know that the one who spoke was his young mate, only he would be able to cause such a reaction from his voice alone. Faltering slightly he looked at his mate and took a drink from his glass that was still full of blood before answering to try and quell his hunger.

"There is nothing that you would be able to offer them to join in on the fight. Their loyalty is won through fear alone, and this is one creature you cannot reason with. They will fight, and they will die while fighting because they fear me, they fear the power I hold and who I am linked with more than anything. Before I left I made a name for myself, not a nice one mind you but a name none-the-less that they will remember. Not all of the vampires will serve me, as I'm sure some of them will have moved up in the ranks and want to stay there... but they will be easily dealt with."

It was the young woman that was sitting beside his mate that spoke out against him this time, her hair seeming to frizz while she was angry. "You can't just expect people to follow you out of just fear. These are creatures who are smart enough to think for themselves, they should be treated as people not abused by power... if you want to have them work for us they need something to work for... something we can give them in return."

Although some of The Order nodded their heads at what she was saying those that had seen more than their time knew better and watched for his reaction. Sighing once again, Spike tried to calm his temper as not to yell at who he assumed was his mate's friend. "I understand where you are coming from, young one. Trust me in this; I understand you want to have vampires treated better, to give them something so that they can be more freely accepted in your world. But we are not to be accepted in your world like a human, it would only end in disaster."

Seeing that she was about to speak again, Spike help up a hand to stop her before she began. "Vampires are not people, you must understand this. They do not think, they do not feel there is only blood and pain in their world and an all-consuming hunger that renders them unable to think of anything else except biting and draining Every. Living. Human." Looking directly at her so that she could see into his eyes he smirked enough to show his right fang.

"The only thing that passes through our minds is the pleasure of feeding, of the lust of the hunt and of the pain of being turned by our sire. Out of a thousand vampires, maybe a hundred will make it through their first five years; out of that hundred maybe fifty will make it into their first century. And maybe out of that fifty one will make it to see his or her sanity returned to them... but even that one can be so lost in their new life that they forget what it was like to feel."

"We are a mindless, heartless species and it is because of this that we are only lead by fear and pain. When we do come back to ourselves, it is different for every vampire and depends entirely on our sire... did they feed us when we were learning? Did they give us their own blood which can speed up the process? Did they turn us while we were still young and if so how young? These all play a contributing factor to if we can live to see ourselves grow and to feel again."

Everyone was listening to him now, watching as he explained why he would have to be strict with the vampires he wished to rule over. "Of the vampires that the Dark Lord has under his control I can safely assume that only about twenty of them are actually able to understand what is really going on and what he is fighting for. The rest are merely looking for a chance, for the opportunity to kill as many humans as they can. I am sure by the end of this you will be able to safely speak with a few vampires like myself, able to control our urges and not tear you apart... but please it is important to understand that we are the exception to our kind the same way that an oyster holds a purple pearl."

Nobody spoke for a while, letting what he said sink in, or in Hermione's case letting her cool down. It was the Weasley's youngest boy the spoke next, whose question made his heart jump into his chest. "How did you become the exception?" Glancing at his mate he saw that the question was written in his eyes but he froze when he had to answer. He had to take a deep breath and another sip of blood before he could answer the question.

"I wasn't always this... human. In fact I spent a great many years perfecting my killing abilities so that I would come out on top. Most of my time here, in my homeland was spent with my blood-thirsty sire and grand-sire when he had the time for me. I suppose it's possible that my magic helped a great deal... but normally when a childe leaves their sire, it is the childe that in fact leaves. After my sire and my grand-sire both left me by myself for their own reasons, I had to learn how to survive somehow."

"I also fed from time to time on the rarest and purest blood out there, having fine tastes in my human life left me with a desire for it in my vampire one. When I did find my sire and grand-sire again there was a... series of events we'll say that led to me to having to rediscover my sanity. Which actually brings me nicely to a request if you will that I wanted to bring up this evening."

Turning to address only Albus, Spike thought about how to phrase his request. "During my time teaching there will be a few people from my past who will be making their way here to help in the war efforts. But they will need to see me, for numerous reasons in order for them to... understand what is going on in this war. I would like to request that those that are harmless to humans especially children be granted access to Hogwarts temporarily so that we can... catch up."

There were shouts of protest around the room, one of which being from the man with only one eye. Albus however brought a hand to his beard and stroked it before he responded.

"And who would be these people be that would be in the school? I cannot in good conscious, allow just anyone into the school be them human or not."

William took his time before he answered; there were a few people that he knew would want to see him, even if just to yell at him. He had enough room for those he wanted to come over the pond for him but some would want to stay closer to the action.

"First I am going to ask my grand-sire to join up and see what kind of strings he can pull. Honesty I don't know who he will bring with him, although I think he has a kid now... I will ask him to come alone but knowing him he won't listen to me. He's harmless to anything human or weak right now; he was cursed with his soul and now makes sure that all the baddies around his home now are taken care of."

"The second person I need to get a hold of is one of the slayers so she shouldn't be a problem around children. She might bring her gang with her... that now includes a very powerful, although muggle-trained witch, a demon-touched guy with serious woman issues. I'm honestly not sure who all survived the explosion to tell you who would be coming, but only the slayer would need to be in the school... I owe her that much at least."

"And how does a vampire become friends with a slayer... first trying to say that you can control vampires without a thought, now this what do you take us for?"

Before anyone else could speak, Spike responded the only way he knew how. It was stupid of him in front of his mate. It was stupid by the fact that he knew he mate was uncertain of him but he would find out one way or another.

"Honestly I don't think that it would be possible for a vampire to be friends with a slayer... we came together because something is threatening us both. The whole the enemy of my enemy thing... but that's not how we came to work together."

Sighing heavily and keeping one eye on his mate, Spike continued where he stopped.

"I suppose we came together because she was the love of my grand-sire and I wanted to see what he fell in love for. Then it became an obsession, until eventually she became my lover. I died for her... she owes me."

"She was your lover?"

Spike turned his full attention to his mate and nodded slightly before answering the betrayal in his gaze.

"I thought that she was the love of my undead life, that is until this afternoon when you walked through my fireplace. Creatures don't love like humans, from the moment you came into this manor my entire being now belongs to you, never doubt that."

Disclaimer:I do not own Buffy The Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter... dammit… I make no profit from writing this story.

A/N:Well guys this is chapter nineteen... we made it this far, and I actually think I see a plot now on where I want to take this. I would like to mention that I'm not quite sure how to write Buffy or Angel, so that you are forewarned. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter...

AND TO ALL OF YOU CANADIANS OUT THERE, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ENJOYING MINE… AND TO MY AMERICAN FRIENDS, I WISH YOU A HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY.

With love,

Mari-chan


	20. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

After his declaration nobody spoke, nobody willing to break the silence that followed Spike's statement. Spike himself almost regretted what he told those at the table; including his mate, almost. One thing that he was going to make sure of in his fight for his mate, one thing that he planned to be able to say to him in the end was that at least if nothing else he was honest. There was no way that he could ever love anyone else but his mate since he saw him, now that he more demonic side had been able to see him in the flesh, to hear his heart beat and his magic call to him. Looking straight at his mate he sighed before taking another sip of blood from his goblet which thankfully Blitsy always seemed to keep full. After he was done he smiled in a sad sort of way while he spoke.

"Don't worry yourself about it; my feelings are that, my own. Despite what you may have been told I in fact have no desire to force my emotions on you. I ask only that you do not doubt how I feel, as a creature it is absolute... although I suppose you should know that by now from your DADA classes."

There was a soft voice beside his mate that spoke, the same one that he argued with earlier. "But vampires don't have chosen mates... we learnt about it in DADA our third year. They may have one that they chose to spend their undead life with, but a chosen mate is not given to them."

Nodding his head Spike couldn't help but agree with the young witch. "Normally you would be correct, but again I am not a normal vampire. Normal vampire's faces change completely when they feed, and their bodies' burn at the slightest touch of the sun. I wasn't given the details on how the mating would affect me, or if not being with my mate would affect me at all... I suppose I will have to find out as I go along."

Just as Harry was about to speak Allah flew in from the partially open door and landed on Spike's shoulder. Looking at his phoenix, Spike raised a hand to lightly pet his head while breathing deeply for the scent he knew should be there from being around the wolf. There was no letter tied to his leg, which meant that the letter was delivered. Now all he had to do was wait for the wolf to show up so that he could start to complete his end of the bargain. If he knew Oz at all then he knew that he wouldn't have long to get everyone out so that he could talk to Wolf-boy.

Everything he needed to do had to be done delicately; if not then there was always a chance of it all backfiring. Stroking Allah's head, Spike told the phoenix to take a break before turning back to the table; hopefully he would have enough time to finish this meeting. Seeing Albus raise an eyebrow at him, Spike instead of coming up with an excuse decided against lying to the other wizard and spoke with a slight strain in his tone.

"Allah was given the task of bringing a letter to the werewolf I mentioned... given that there was no letter returned I can only assume that he will be here soon enough. I would rather if it is only him and I were here when he arrives."

"Why? So you can plot behind our backs?"

The gruff voice came from the man with one eye; there wasn't any time to defend himself as he could feel the wards admit in another person. Sighing Spike rubbed his forehead before he realized that if he wanted Oz to listen to him as Spike then he needed to look like Spike and not William. With a quick glance to his mate he pulled out his wand, ignoring how others pulled theirs, pointing his wand at himself he tapped it against his head, causing his hair to change into the spiked-blond that he loved for so long.

Looks of confusion greeted him when he opened his eyes but he merely stood and waved his wand down the length of his body to change his clothing. Instead of the formal robes that he had been wearing they were instead changed into leather pants and a black muscle shirt. Not knowing how this was going to go, Spike walked closer to his mate and held out his wand. Harry like everyone else was shocked by the change from a known pure-blood family into muggle clothes took the wand from his hand slowly, not knowing what to think.

"Blitsy" Spike called out while still facing his mate, within a moment the house elf had popped in beside her master, bowing slightly. "What can Blitsy do for Master William?" "I need the duster jacket from my muggle closet, please... then please also have someone lead our newest guest to this room." "Of course Master William."

With that the house elf left only to return a moment later with an old-looking duster jacket. Looking at the jacket, Spike let a fond smile grace his face before he nodded to the elf and carefully put on the jacket. It wasn't his jacket, how could it be given that his had disintegrated when his body did... but it was almost the exact same. He had gone to as many second-hand muggle stores as he could until he found it... after all he didn't want a new one, it wouldn't be the same and he could always wash out another's sent to make it his own.

"I suppose you will get your wish, Wolf-boy will be here in a few moments. His name is Oz, and in all honesty I do not know how he will react to everything. I am asking, nicely that you all please keep your mouths shut until he actually agrees to help." Seeing that Blitsy was still in the room taking in her master's form and looking with a disapproving glance, Spike addressed her once again. "Blitsy also please note that while I look in my... shall we say muggle form please call me by Spike... it is the name that the muggles I know will call me by."

"Blitsy understand Master Spike, Blitsy will tell other house-elves to call Master Spike, Master Spike while he looks like a muggle and when muggle-guests are around. Master Spike will not go into wizard world while looking like muggle, Master Spike is a Malfoy and will dress like a Malfoy while with wizards."

A couple of people behind him snickered however he merely smiled and nodded to the elf. Seeing her nod back at him before she left Spike didn't bother turn around before he spoke, he knew he didn't have much time before Oz got there. "Please do not interfere with whatever I need to say or do to convince him to help the cause... in fact there will be a separate ward erected as soon as he steps into the room. You cannot be seen or heard to him. Please remember neither of us are classified as human."

Stepping away from the table Spike raised his hand and chanted in Latin under his breath. There was a clear covering of all those around the table before it faded, and although he could still see the table and those at it he knew that the people would be invisible to Oz. As a bonus he had changed it so that their sent would longer be there. Catching the eyes of his mate once again he noticed that it will still Harry that held his wand, giving him a slight half-grin he turned to the door as he smelt and heard Oz come to the room.

Grabbing the chair he had previously been sitting on he sat down after turning it to face the door with his goblet of blood in his hand. Sitting back on the chair so that it was on two legs he was sipping on the blood when Oz came through the door. The werewolf didn't look any different than the last time that he saw him... he still had the same brown hair, the same scrawny figure but there was something different about him. Taking a closer look he noticed the wolf and the human had combined into one being... he had finally accepted his creature. Wolf-boy was holding his letter in his right hand and there was a look of fury in his eyes.

Sighing Spike took another sip of the blood while he waited for Oz to say something. He didn't have to wait long.

"What the hell are you playing at Spike?"

Keeping his expression neutral, Spike looked at Oz before he responded. "Exactly what I told you in the letter... you did read it didn't you? You didn't manage to lose your ability to read while gathering up fleas right?" He didn't have to wait long before he heard the growl from in front of him.

"That's not what I mean and you know it! If this is true then you knew all along didn't you? You knew all along what the magic would do to her and you didn't do a fucking thing! So I ask again what the hell are you playing at askin' for my help after that? You could have saved her from it all!"

Oz was infuriated; there was no other way to describe how he appeared at that moment. His face was red, his breath was coming in pants and Spike could practically see how hard he must be fighting to keep himself from launching at him. He supposed that this was a good sign, if he was willing to keep his head cool this angry then he might still be willing to work with him. Placing the goblet down on the table so that he wouldn't spill it on himself he decided to go with the truth, or at least as much of the truth as he was willing to give.

"Magic itself isn't what caused her to lose herself; if it was just magic then every witch or wizard would be as insane as she was. There was nothing that I could have done for her; the only magic that I know is mostly conducted through a wand just like in the magic shows. The magic that I use... that most of my kind use is harmless to ourselves... it doesn't change us. If she would have just stayed with the normal light magic it's quite possible that she wouldn't have had a problem... but she mixed it Wolfie, all of it. Light, dark, grey, American, Wicca, Pagan, British, hell Wolf-boy she even did necromancy there! Magic has a way of staying with you... its why most of my kind uses a wand to kind of feed away that shadow of magic away from our person and into the wand itself... she didn't have that which is why it changed her so much."

"You could have warned her... warned us that what she was doing would harm her."

"Would she have listened even if I wanted to at the time? You're forgetting she was practising long before I came around and by the time I did actually want to help she already figured out that all she could do was just stop using. You forget that at first I wanted you all dead, hell I even tried to kill you all more than once."

"And now you ask for my help? To recruit my own kind, to betray them to the one species that we are bred to hate more than anything? What the hell are you playing Spike? There is no way that a pack of werewolves, any pack will serve under a vampire and even less of a chance of them serving under the light... the ones that try to kill us already."

Spike's eyes widened at that newest revelation. At first he didn't know if Oz knew of the Wizarding world before he wrote the letter but now it seemed as though he didn't need to explain at all. Smirking he sat his chair back on its four legs and crossed one leg over the other. Looking straight into Oz's eyes he knew he could now work with the wolf to get him to do what he wanted. He didn't dare turn around to see the look on those at the table who were remaining silent through this verbal match even with the fact that they must be burning with curiosity on who "she" was.

"Then I suppose that we will have to change how exactly the packs view _the light._ They're pissed, as they should be when they worked for _the light_ last time it didn't work to well in their favour... stricter policies and harder-to-find employment for their kind. Hell everyone in the Wizarding world be them light or dark fears wolves... we both know this, just like they fear vampires. It's horrible how we both are viewed, not as people no... but as monsters that only want to hunt them down and either kill or turn them."

"But maybe what the werewolves need right now is exactly what I am, a vampire whose alliance is with the party against us? Think about it... right now The Light has no backing what so ever in the political game, their name is being thrown through the mud and there are very few legislation that they can actually get passed. The Dark currently has the finances as well at the allies to get their own agenda accomplished. Being a vampire it is natural that I would wish to have easier rights for my own kind... but what if I didn't want to limit that, what if it is for creatures as a whole?"

"Being a dark creature, from a neutral family nobody will suspect that I am working for The Light. Without that association it is quite possible that I will gain favourable backing when I bring new laws to The Ministry to be voted on, of which I will be voting. The Malfoy family is rich... enough that people sometimes underestimate exactly how much power we actually hold. I am in a very influential position right now; tell me do you follow wizard politics at all?"

"Some, I know who some of the main players are and that your minister is an idiot. I know that your precious Albus Dumbledore is probably as sane as any person his age can be, not that it counts for much considering he's like 200 and that the ones running your papers don't know shit."

Spike could practically feel the approval behind him as Oz spoke, but he couldn't comment on it. Instead he continued where he left off, this was a critical moment and he wanted to make sure that Oz knew exactly how powerful he had become in being forced back home.

"As you may be aware then one of the main political players is in fact Lucius Malfoy. He has been buying his way into everything that he can think of, and does in fact right now have the Minister in his pocket. He is my way into this game, and a way that I have already begun to work on. All titles and votes that he has been using and gained through his family is nothing more than a lie... every vote that he has ever cast has been nothing but a lie. You see his family is a branch, a very bastard branch from my own. His something-great grandfather was in fact my half-brother to my father's mistress."

"To make a long story short I allowed my half-brother to keep the name Malfoy but only the name. All titles, votes, seats and all but ten percent of the fortune were to remain with my line only. In fact if I was to die with no heir then it was still not to go to him, it was to be kept in a vault and unused until someone worthy came along to claim it. Someone who had both my mother's and father's blood. Had I not come back to claim it myself it would stay there probably until the end of time."

"This means that all the power he thinks he has, that the public "knows" that he has is actually mine. Not only that but all the votes that he had previously given I need to go through and if I disagree then it will be retracted. It may not change a lot of things but it will change some things, and in the future he cannot so much as bring an idea to counsel. Now on top of that once this gets public, which it will very soon the ministry will be removing him from power."

"Sure there is going to be some problems, me being a vampire is one of them but he only had ten percent of my power, of my money and my abilities. Ten percent and look at everything he did in his political career... imagine what ninety percent plus interest can do."

For a few moments Spike let it all sink in, after all this wasn't like him. The Spike that Oz knew wouldn't care about politics, not about how to better the werewolves considering that he didn't like them. This could work however, he was the only one in The Order that could get this done, and with some of the magical families being on his side it was possible for him to get the majority vote on most things.

"And what can you promise them, us. What do you think it will take for us to side with you? Even with all this they aren't going to want to fight alongside you... hell I'm having a hard time with the fact that you're working for the Light right now let alone if I can help you. We won't take anymore empty promises... you're going to have to give us something."

Nodding his head, Spike ran a hand through his shortened hair. Standing he walked slowly over to Oz, once he was a couple feet in front of him he called for Blitsy and asked for a jar. Once he had the jar he opened it and brought his left wrist to his mouth and bit down hard enough to cut the skin. Sucking so that the blood would flow freely he then brought his wrist over the jar and watched as it started to fill with blood. Once he deemed it full enough he licked at his wrist until it healed over. Then closing the jar he passed it to Oz.

"And what exactly am I supposed to do with this?"

Smirking Spike walked back to the table and grabbed his goblet, chugging down at least a litre from the ever-filling goblet he didn't bother to wipe his mouth when he turned and answered.

"You wanted something upfront, didn't you? I know for a fact that the Dark Lord will be losing many of his vampire aids in the next day or two... and in doing this he will ask the ones still around to make more. This will no doubt cause a problem in your community wherever it is... there will be newborns with no skills but plenty of strength wanting to get rid of your stench and older vamps with no master wanting to cause hell for wolves anyway."

"And your blood is what going to what, make them all disappear?"

"In a way, yes. You see right now you're looking at the head-vamp this side of Asia and even the new ones will be able to smell my age in my blood. Get your wolves together, the ones that want to side with the light and spread that around your crypt, it will work as a vampire repellant. Don't get me wrong, it's not going to keep them all away but most wont deal with you and the ones that do get in you should be able to handle."

"And I'm supposed to just believe you with this?"

"Believe me or not it will work, just don't expect me to keep refilling it for your experiments. I'd ask if you want to stay the night but we will probably try to kill each other before the night is out... so tell a house elf where you wish to go and they will get you there... and the necklace will work more than once."

Hearing the obvious dismissal, Oz turned and made his way back out the door but he stopped before he was completely out and turned back slightly. His voice was softer now, a tone that he never used to the vampire before.

"Your mate... does he know?"

Surprised at the change in topic, Spike merely nodded only just stopping himself from glancing at said mate.

"I wondered at times if Willow was mine... but then I learnt how it really feels. Vampires don't normally have mates... tell me is it worth all this trouble you're putting yourself in? If you contacted me then Buffy and Angel can't be too far behind... do they have any idea what you're going to end up doing for them, to yourself?"

Shaking his head slightly Spike tried to choose his words carefully as he answered.

"I wish I could answer you, Oz I really do but I can't. We haven't even had a full conversation yet, and somewhere in me I got a feeling that we never will. Right now all I can think about is how to win this war before they become too jaded, to hardened by war, too touched by death. He's young, much younger than I was when Dru fund me... and if I have it my way he will remain exactly as he is right now without a single blemish on his soul."

"And if this doesn't work? If you fail and his soul becomes as tainted as your own?"

"Then I show him what darkness really is... this isn't about an alliance to the Light, you know that wolf-boy. We're going to be playing a very dangerous game soon enough, and it's all going to be because The Powers That Be saw that Buffy faked a declaration of love in my last moment alive and I could see through it."

Nodding his head, Oz turned once again to leave but didn't move for a moment and instead he gave his own parting words that shocked Spike.

"Don't worry about Buffy, I can get in contact with them it will probably be easier for them to believe that I need their help then you do. I'll keep in contact while I go to the packs... I know what happens when one of my kind loses a mate... I can only imagine what you will go through when yours leaves you. You will need to get Angel if Buffy doesn't bring him but I can ask her to. You can be a real ass Spike, enough that I may want you dead sometimes... but I hear whispers and I know what you did for her... I don't want to know what doing that all again will do to you so I'll help in any way I can."

After his last word Oz left the room completely and all Spike could hear were the footsteps of his once enemy walk down the hallway. Waiting for a moment Spike held open his hand and chanted again so that the spell was removed once he felt that Oz had left the manor completely. Once the ward was down he sighed and turned around to face the crowd behind him. For once he didn't want to look at his mate instead he looked at the wizard that was the head of The Order and spoke directly to him.

"It's been a really exhausting day, and I want nothing more than to soak in my tub and go to sleep. I can answer a few questions but after that can you please leave my house so I can sleep?"

Smiling in a way Spike supposed was meant to look comforting Albus answered with an easy "Of course, my boy". Sitting back down in his chair after turning it around he once again brought his goblet to his lips, drinking a bit licking his lips afterwards he kept his gaze on Albus waiting for his questions.

"Really I don't have many questions, except to ask if what you told your... shall we say friend, was in reality true? Does your blood work to cause other vampires to avoid the area?"

Nodding his head, Spike didn't bother with a verbal answer. He could feel the gaze of his mate on him and after everything that was just revealed to Oz he didn't feel up to seeing the look in his mates eyes whatever they were. The last part of their conversation brought home how little of his mate he really had. Chances were good that after he had used every effort he could to bring the light victory in the upcoming war his mate would only leave him. Sure he would probably be able to find him, he would have enough eyes through vampires but if his mate rejected him... could he survive that? Could he really live with himself knowing that he once again gave his heart away only to have it crushed by yet another hand?

No. He didn't believe for a second that he would be able to recover from that.

_'I have got to get my affairs in order; I'm sure that Dru would like to have the house.'_

"… be possible to use some in the wards?"

Not wanting to be caught drifting off Spike had to think quickly on what was being asked of him. Coming to the conclusion that they wanted to better ward some place, probably the school or wherever their headquarters was he shook his head.

"It's not foolproof, and honestly I don't much care for letting my own blood be around a bunch of people who actually know how to use it to harm me. Oz was safe, having a bunch of people I don't know being able to take my blood to do who knows what with, no."

"So you would rather risk the lives of children because of how we _might_ use your blood. None of us use the dark arts, if anyone was going to use it, it would be you _Lord Malfoy._"

Shaking his head Spike decided that he didn't want to deal with this anymore tonight. Downing his glass or at least what would have emptied his glass if it wasn't refilling itself he then turned to look at the one with the magical eye. Placing the glass down on the table he for a moment wondered if he could just kill the man and get it over with.

"I understand that you don't trust me, honestly I do. I'm a new face, with more experience, power and skills then you have. I get that you not only don't trust me but for some reason don't _want_ to trust me but you seem to be forgetting something. I in no way trust anyone on your side of the war, in fact at least the Dark Lord as I'm told he's calling himself is more trustworthy. It's something that every so called _light_ side has in common and why exactly people join the darker more sinister side. With them you know where you stand, it's easy to know who will be cutting your throat open and who will stand beside you. I am willing to try within reason to get you to trust me or to at least have it so that you don't second guess everything that I say or do.

Do not assume that because I want you to be able to trust me that I will do everything you say. This works both ways and demanding that I give you something that in no way belongs to you, isn't helping this in going forward. As much as it pains me to say so, I trust Oz."

Spike ran a hand through his hair, had he known that Oz was going to show up tonight he would have tried to have this meeting another day. Looking to the leader of the light side of this war, Spike decided that he wouldn't be taunted anymore by the paranoid man down the table.

"I grow weary of this meeting and although I do not wish to be rude may I formally request that we continue another night? If you wish you and those with you are more than welcome to stay the night if you desire, it is late and I believe that we could all do with some sleep before we continue. I'm sure you and your companions have many more questions. I have more than enough rooms to accommodate you should you desire."

Spike could see the one with the magical eye about to protest but Albus held up his hand to silence him. His other hand went to his long beard and stroked it for a moment in deep thought before he opened his own mouth to speak.

"And where would young Mister Potter be spending his night?"

"I am no fool; Albus please do not take me as one."

The question for some reason seemed to burn inside of his chest. The conversation with Oz had affected him more than he thought it would. Not for the first time he wished that he had never gotten into such a sticky situation, after all there was a room in the mansion that was made for his mate that he _knew_ his mate would reject. How would he handle that rejection tonight? He wondered, how would he handle being even one step farther from his mate?

"He will of course sleep where he wishes, I'm sure that he would like to sleep near his friends. Perhaps you would rather he sleep in the room beside your own or that of your wolf?"

"But didn't you already have rooms made for him? If you knew that you had a mate you would make them rooms wouldn't you?"

Looking questionably at the youngest Weasley boy Spike hesitated before he nodded his head. Of course he made rooms for his intended, he had even made sure that it was the first one along with his own that was cleaned and that everything was replaced with something more masculine. Originally it had been Drusilla's room so there were several things that he didn't think his mate would like in it so he had the room completely re-done to suit his mate. There was a slight twinkle Spike noticed, in Albus' eyes as he spoke next.

"Well I suppose it would be most rude to reject your generous offer. We would love to stay the night, please lead us to any available rooms and we will continue this after breakfast."

Getting up from his spot Spike called for Blitsy. Quickly he gave her orders to see that everyone with the exception of those going to his own wing were to be led to their rooms for the night. Like the loyal house-elf that she was Blitsy snapped her figures and several more house elves came and one by one led the others out of the room until there was only Albus, Remus, the youngest Weasley boy, the bushy haired girl and his own mate left in the room.

Turning Spike made his way out of the room, listening as the others followed behind him. He made sure that he was not too far ahead, although he felt slightly nervous about having his mate sleep so close to him. Perhaps he would move to another room for the night, surely nobody would mind if he slept somewhere else. Shaking his head mentally he pushed that thought to the back of his mind, after all he didn't want to be kicked out his own room in his own house.

Before he knew it he was at his wing of the house. It wasn't the largest he had ever seen but there were ten bedrooms on this wing all of which had their own en-suite bathroom so there was no need for a common one unlike the other wings. This one was meant for family. His own room had been in this wing when he was younger, but he had since removed everything from that room leaving his own room, the one designed for his mate and five others that he was sure they would use.

Moving so that he was standing the middle of the hallway he turned and faced the others. The girl and boy had their eyes huge in wonder of his mansion which made him swell pride. Albus he noticed never stopped his twinkling eyes while both Remus and Harry were looking at him; one with a curious gleam the other with a weary look. Clearing his throat Spike addressed those in front of him.

"This is the family wing, for tonight it will be yours as well. The door the farthest down the hall leads to my chambers, the one beside it is also spoken for however as there is five of you and eight other rooms it should turn out well. Each bedroom will have its own bathroom and I will have the elves purchase some robes for you to wear for tomorrow, so don't worry about clothes. If you have any specific requests my elves take shifts so there is always someone willing to answer your questions or requests.

Please do not try to enter my room, remember what I am and what time my kind flourish in. If you wish to explore the mansion please be careful, although my family is neutral we have been known to have some dark ties so if you don't know what it is or get a bad feeling please do not touch it. With that if you don't mind I will leave you to decide where you all will sleep."

Before he could turn around he heard the most beautiful voice he ever had the pleasure of hearing call out with a question. Turning to his mate, Spike couldn't stop the way his blood started pumping, the way that he felt so drawn to the young man in front of him. There was nothing else he knew in the world that he would feel as drawn to as he did to this creature.

"What about your wand?"

It was such a simple question but with it Spike got one of those few moments he knew he would be forever dreaming to speak with his mate. Not wanting to lose that chance he answered in a soft tone he hardly ever used.

"You will probably feel safer knowing that I don't have my wand. Keep it until you feel comfortable enough to give it back while in ou-my home."

"What about that room beside yours? Why can't one of us use that room?"

Sighing Spike turned his attention to the only female in the group. Instead of getting angry he felt a sense of sadness surround him, a feeling he was sure he would be far too familiar with.

"That is the room that your friend spoke of. Originally it was to be used for my intended before marriage. There is a door that can only open from the inside that leads to my own room, it was so that my intended would be able to see me should they need it but I could not enter to taint them before our marriage. As it was originally supposed to be for my future wife, I had it re-done since I've been back and changed the room. I made it for my intended therefore I will not allow anyone but him to stay there."

Turning quickly to his mate and seeing the startled look in his eyes he quickly spoke. "Don't worry you may choose any room you wish, I will not force that room upon you."

"Can I see it?"

Blinking slightly Spike nodded his head before leading the way down the hall. He hardly noticed as Albus found a room for himself as did his two friend which were the one directly across and beside the room he was to show his mate. Thinking nothing of it he smelt more then heard when Remus also chose his room for the night. Standing in front of the door, Spike looked to his mate before he opened the door. There was still the chance of rejection and he hoped that his mate approved of the room.

Inside of the room there was a larger then king sized four poster bed in the middle. The hangings from the posts were a deep emerald while the stitching of small little snakes went along the seams. The bed covers themselves were made of the finest silk and blacker then night, with several black pillows at the headboard. The stitching of the pillows was silver and had several designs including a gryphon, a hyppogryph and a Lily on a lily-pad.

There was a nightstand next to the bed on either side, one holding what looked to be a ball of light which was to replace a lamp and the other side held a book on quidditch and a single drawer made of a deep cherry. There was also three other doors in the room, one of which he knew lead to the bathroom and another to Malfoy's room but the other one was a mystery. Looking to William Harry didn't say anything but only looked to the other door.

"That would be your closet should you ever desire to stay here. It's about the same size as I remember the dorm rooms were in school. It's filled with robes I thought you might like, and some muggle clothes of course in case you wished to go that way instead. Also I should have mentioned that the door to my room doesn't lead directly there. There is a sitting room with some books, a loveseat and couch along with my chair and two desks in that room. You have to get through that room to get to my own."

Nodding his head, Harry thought over his options. He could admit to himself at least that he did like the look of the room, there were enough windows that it didn't look dark, and as much as he loved his house colours there was only so much gold and red you could take before silver and green started to look easier on the eyes. There was however a deep red carpet on the floor that looked like it would be soft enough to sleep on to keep his house pride safe.

All in all he really did like the room, it was a warm feeling to know that this man put so much effort and thought in to what he may want in a room. Harry was sure as well that if he didn't like it or didn't use it that the man would scrap the room again until he was satisfied with it. Nodding his head slightly Harry stepped into the room, he had a lot to think about and the bed did look like it would be wonderful for him to sleep on. Turning back Harry went to tell Lord Malfoy that he would sleep there when he caught the unguarded hope in the other's eyes.

For a split moment Harry wondered if he would be able to keep to his plan. Although his gut was starting to disagree with him he had planned on leaving once the war was over, to get rid of all of his ties except a few close friends and just leave. Now looking at the man in front of him however Harry wondered if maybe he should at least until Voldemort was taken care of, give this an honest try. Smiling slightly he spoke, and for the first time he noticed how Lord Malfoy seemed to hang on his every word.

"The room is beautiful, I think I will stay here tonight if you don't mind that is."

Spike had been worried when he opened the door that his mate wouldn't like the room, had been terrified that he didn't know anything at all about his mate and would have to start over again. There was no doubt that if Harry rejected this room that everything in it would burn until he found something he would believe Harry would accept. Now though he couldn't keep the smile from his face or the feeling that maybe, just maybe he could make the work.

Nodding his head Spike said a simple goodnight before he shut the door and made his way to his own room. Once there he closed the door and shred his clothes before going under the covers and getting comfortable in his bed. With his vampire hearing if he listened carefully enough he was able to hear Harry two rooms over while he got ready for bed. He probably wouldn't be able to sleep for a while as he wanted to listed to his young mate as much as possible, but what little sleep he did get was well resting and for the first time since he came back he felt complete.

Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever owned Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer, if I did then Spike would have found happiness and Harry would not be with Ginny. I make no profit from writing this story.

A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Now I have updated my profile information to include both contact information as well as where my -friendly fics will be migrating to. I will have this story as well as several others there (I am slowly migrating them and this may take time.) I also would like to mention that I will be doing NaNoWriMo this year and so during the month of November the chances of be being able to write on this are slim to none. I still have a couple chapters already written and I can edit while doing NaNoWriMo (I hope) but anything new will have to wait until after December, maybe during.

I'm sorry if this displeases you but everyone is welcome to try NaNoWriMo, it's free. For those of you who don't know what it is, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, you have the month of November (30days) to write a novel (50,000 words) I do it every year and this year will not be any different Wish me luck!

With love,

Mari-chan


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty One

Harry hadn't known what to expect when he went to Malfoy Manor with the rest of The Order. If he was honest with himself, he didn't really want to go to the manor at all. He had received a gift from the man only a few days before they were to arrive at the meeting, a beautiful pendant that was delivered by a raven. It was strange for a wizard to use non-owl mail, but he supposed that Malfoy's were the exception to everything. It was Moody who saw that the package had magic woven around it; he said that it basically glowed with spells.

To be cautious they had taken the present from him, although both Harry and Dumbledore highly doubted along with the Weasleys that Lord Malfoy would try to harm his mate. The pendant was then given to Bill so that he would be able to look into the charms and spells that were woven into it. The raven that refused to leave, he assumed until she saw that the package was with the proper owner.

Harry didn't say much that night, instead he just listened as those around him started to talk about their next meeting at the mansion. The Weasleys he was surprised to notice seemed excited to visit while Moody and Snape voiced the most negatively about the fact that Lord Malfoy was even being trusted enough to be around the children. Harry didn't say a word to either defend the man that claimed to be his mate or to speak out against him. At this point he still didn't know what to think, all he had to go on was a few letters and now a pendant that may or may not have been designed to harm or control him in some form.

By listening he did make a decision that he knew would change how he would treat this man that he never met... he had to meet him. There was no way that he could willingly allow himself to be given away to someone he never met, let alone someone who was even distantly related to the one family he knew for certain has tried to kill him since he came to the Wizarding world. On the other hand could he really string someone along? He didn't know if he could just up and leave once Voldemort was defeated.

He didn't say anything that night, instead he made his way to his bedroom, which was given to him after Sirius fell through the veil and laid down to think. Now that he knew that he was going to actually meet the man he needed to find a way to do so. There was no way that he would be able to leave and see him by himself; however he also didn't want to chance that something might happen. He couldn't just appear while they were having a meeting, he was sure that Lord Malfoy would have his home warded against such things. In fact they were only able to floo during specific times that were set up by Albus.

The only way that he knew of is if he went with them to a meeting, and to do that he needed approval from not only Albus, who he knew would allow him but from Remus. It had been Remus' idea in the first place to trick Lord Malfoy into believing that they could be together after the war and then leave him. It still kind of shocked him that the timid werewolf could think of doing something so underhanded to another being. It took him a while to understand where the older man was coming from. Remus had lost his best friends, his pack and now his only cub was at risk of being taken away against his will, there was nothing that he wouldn't think or do to keep him safe even from his own mate.

That was another thing he had to learn to either accept or to reject completely, the fact that he had a mate. He trusted that it must be true, even if he didn't acknowledge the bond yet. He was in fact this vampire's mate. If it wasn't true then Albus surely wouldn't have told him and would have simply rejected the idea, but there was evidence to support this and it wasn't something that was completely unheard of. Back in third year after Remus had changed their homework assigned by Snape from werewolves to vampires he had actually done the essay that was assigned without the help of Hermoine. There was one, single documented case of a vampire having their mate.

It wasn't well known and he had needed to look into several books but he did find it. The only reason he had looked so hard was because while he was looking for the subject matter on werewolves the topic of mates had come up before the assignment was changed. The word, the phenomenon of having one mate for your life fascinated him enough that when they were to do their vampire essay he decided to use that as his main topic. The research alone had taken him hours to find but there was one documented case in a book that he had used for reference. The vampire in the story like his own mate was given a mate as a gift from what the book referred to as The Powers That Be.

When he heard the story that both Lord Malfoy and the others told him of how the vampire had sacrificed himself for the greater good and then was brought back from the undead. In the story the vampire whose name was never revealed was given his chosen mate, in this case a woman and tried again and again to woo her so that she would be turned and be with him forever. But she had not wanted to be turned, even if she did in her own way loved him in return. The vampire distraught at her reluctance to turn for him decided that her consent only mattered for so long. In the heat of the moment he turned her, drank her blood and forced his upon her.

The woman, whose name also unknown went on a rampage which was common for most vampires after their turning. The vampire male thinking nothing of it allowed her, her freedom to hunt as she saw fit and encouraged her to drink her fill. They stayed together for a good many years, until of course her mind began to settle back to the state it had been before she was turned, and her memories came back. Eventually she remembered her life as a human, and how she wished to grow old and die as a human not as the vampire her mate forced her to be.

She like many others began to hate her sire, her lover, her mate and plotted against him. Her mate however knew nothing of this; all he could see was that his childe, his mate would be his for all of eternity. In the middle of the day, when they were both supposed to be asleep she awoke and went through with her plan. Raising the wooden stake she drove it into her own chest into her heart but didn't pull it back out which would turn her body to dust. With a gasp her mate through the bond felt that his love was in danger and opened his eyes to see her staking herself.

As he asked her why she merely smiled and cupped his cheek, her response the story went on to tell stayed with him until the end of his undead life. "Because my love, my chosen, my mate you took from me what you could never give to me. I would have been yours, I would have taken your blood when the time came but it wasn't then. Before you there was another, and he fooled me but you, my love you took away what he left inside me. You killed my little miracle, my gift given by The Powers That Be, and so my mate I shall take yours."

He couldn't stop her when she took the stake from her heart, and in her place left only a pile of ashes on the bed and a broken vampire behind. Nobody heard from him again, not demons or vampires, muggles or wizards. It was well believed that he had died, like the veela unable to live without his mate. Harry however hoped they were wrong, that maybe the vampire in the story simply went away, far enough away that people wouldn't remember him. He couldn't remember what he got on the essay, but he remembered that story for some reason it had stuck with him.

There was only one thing that he could do, and that was to talk to Remus about allowing him to see the vampire that claimed to be his mate. He would probably need to promise a lot, perhaps that the werewolf would not leave his side or that he would not speak with the vampire alone, all things that could be done. But he needed to see him. He needed to see the man that he will need to either spend the rest of his life with or to run away from. Deep inside he knew that his first meeting would prove what side of the coin he would pick, if he would be willing to even try to give this a shot, but all of that could wait until tomorrow. Tonight he just needed to sleep; to allow himself a few more moments of freedom before he jumped into what he knew would be the equivalent of an erupting volcano.

Disclaimer:I do not now nor have I ever owned Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer... damn… I make no profit from writing this story.

A/N: Thank you for reading this yet again, and I hope you enjoyed it!

With love,

Mari-chan


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

The next day didn't turn out any better for Harry then the day previous. In fact if anything it turned out much worse. Remus who hadn't been there when the package arrived found out that there were magical properties of the gift given to him by Lord Malfoy. To say he was furious would have been an understatement and Harry felt he knew that it would only get worse before it got better. Bill fortunately was able to get through most of the magic and although he was unable to take off any of the charms which was strange considering his carrier choice he was able to see that nothing was intended to harm. Still he advised to keep the pendant for a few more days, although after noticing the estimated price of the pendant he promised not to harm it in any way.

Harry decided to wait until Dumbledore was there before he announced that he wanted to go to the next meeting. There was no hope of him getting support for his choice even from the Weasleys who were being as supportive as they could towards Lord Malfoy. There was always the risk that the vampire would lose his control with his sent alone and harm him. It was a risk that Harry felt that he had to take if he ever wanted to live with whatever choice he decided to make in the end. Like the night before he kept his mouth shut and didn't so much as speak to his two best friends when they came to him, instead he simply shook his head and they left him alone. Over the past few weeks he felt like he didn't fit as well with the other two as he did before, maybe it was because they were now officially a couple while he was the third wheel.

Both Hermoine and Ron made sure to try and include him in everything like they had every other year but it was different this time. He had thought that because they all were staying at headquarters that perhaps they would become closer but the opposite was true. A part of that he was sure, was due to the fact that everyone, including his best friends had expected him to get together with Ginny once Hermoine and Ron came together. It was inevitable that the muggle-born and the pure-blood would eventually get together, what they didn't expect was for someone else to try to claim Harry instead of the only female of the Weasley children. Ginny understandably was upset but even if Harry didn't chose to be with Lord Malfoy he had too much power for him to simply reject his claim.

They couldn't even be together in secret as the sent would carry onto each other and in turn would inform the vampire of their relationship. In his own way Harry was thankful that he didn't have to be with Ginny, he loved her that was true but as his own sibling not as he should love his lover. Molly was upset but she was old enough to understand that one could not turn down a creature claim, and with that she tried her hardest to give Harry her full blessing should he chose to be with Lord Malfoy. Nobody, not even Moody seemed to reject Harry and they all made it a point to make sure that he knew that they would not reject or think anything of him for the fates choosing his mate for him. It was only Remus he found that was completely against the idea; even Moody was willing to accept it so long as Lord Malfoy proved himself which he was more than happy to test.

When Dumbledore did come to headquarters like he did for every supper, Harry waited until after their meal before he spoke up. The Order was not due for a meeting until a few hours before they were to leave for Malfoy Manor the next day but they all seemed to eat at headquarters, most likely because of Molly's cooking. Once everyone was done of their meal Harry spoke up, his voice was firm the same tone that he used when he vowed to avenge his family, at the time against his own godfather.

"I want to go with you to the meeting at Malfoy Manor."

Like he expected there was a dead silence before everyone began to speak at once. Several, if not all of those around the table began to protest, Remus and Moody being the loudest in their accusations of what may happen if he was permitted to go. Dumbledore however stroked his beard while thinking and gave Harry a curious but also accepting look that he wasn't expecting. Not turning away from his headmaster Harry kept his gaze, trusting the older man not to invade his mind but to read from his expression alone that he needed to do this, that it was something he would not move on. And with his normal twinkle, the man opened his mouth and spoke which caused everyone else to become silent around the table.

"If this is what you want then of course I will support it. Meeting ones mate however can be dangerous so I would like to put up a few precautions if you will. First of all you will be arriving last so that the rest of us are there to protect you should Lord Malfoy lose himself to his base instinct. Secondly you will not be occupying a room with him alone; one of us will remain close so that he cannot harm you in any way. Now if the meeting runs late he may offer rooms for the night, should this happen you are to remain close to myself, Remus I am sure would like to stay close as well. If you can convince him to relinquish his wand I am sure we would feel more comfortable and stay at a farther distance so long as yours is with you at all times. I believe this to be reasonable, don't your agree my boy?"

Thinking it over Harry wondered if there was anything in his requests that he wouldn't agree with. There was only one thing that he wanted to change.

"I understand having someone there when I arrive but having everyone there I'm sure would be crowded, can't we just select a few people to stay? Yourself Headmaster, Remus and perhaps Mrs. and Me Weasley along with Hermoine and Ron?"

Smiling Dumbledore nodded his head, and with that everyone else at the table started up again about how dangerous it would be for Harry to be there. Harry himself as well as most of the others knew that there wouldn't be any persuading otherwise, once Albus made a decision then it was as good as done. Not wanting to hear what they had to say, Harry left the room to go to his bedroom and was closely followed by Hermoine and Ron who didn't say a word until the door was closed behind them. Sitting down on his bed the three of them made themselves comfortable before Hermoine started.

"Are you sure this is safe Harry? I don't mean to sound rude but he is a vampire and they are not known for controlling themselves very well. I've read every book I could find about them in the Black library after we learnt about Lord Malfoy but I couldn't find a single reference of a vampire having a mate chosen for them. I've read plenty about other creatures but not vampires, and even in those stories the creature needs to claim their mate once they see them. Very few are willing to court their mate before they take them and with the dark creatures it is always violent."

"Yeah mate, sure my family is all for the true Lord Malfoy coming back to help with the war but he can't change his creature any more then Professor Lupin can."

Thinking back to the one story of a vampire mate that he read Harry knew that it was a risk. The vampire in that story was forced to turn his mate... but not until after she turned him down several times so there was hope. He believed that had she told him or had he noticed the other life growing inside her, if she gave him a reason why he never would have harmed her like he did. It was his nature to try and keep his mate safe and so far Lord Malfoy had not tried to harm him or force himself on him.

"I don't think he's going to hurt me. Even if he did Dumbledore won't let him and Remus will be there as well not to mention your mom, Ron and your dad. I'll be safe don't worry about that... but I can't keep myself from meeting him. Eventually I will need to meet him face to face and when that happens I don't want it to be in front of the public not knowing what will happen. I want it to be secluded and with all of you there I will be the safest that I can be."

The two friends took a few moments to think about what he said before they both nodded and changed the topic. The three of them sat around and talked about normal seventeen year old things, like what classes they were taking, how they thought school would be different this year and Hermoine made sure that both of the boys had their homework done. Which they both said they finished, even though Ron didn't start his Charms essay yet and Harry needed to finish his potions. For the first time in a while Harry, Ron and Hermoine all enjoyed an evening together just acting like regular teenage children, but Harry unlike his two friends even in those few hours couldn't feel like a regular teenager and he knew that for some reason that he never would.

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer... but I do own a copy of the Harry Potter books and the DVD box sets of seasons 1-7 of Buffy... does that count? I make no profit from writing this story.

A/N: I would like to address that the last chapter as well as this chapter is written from Harry's point of view for a reason and the next chapter will as well. Where chapter 20 was so long I had to break Harry's point of view into three separate chapters to get it all. The next chapter should bring us back to Spike's time-line so please bear with me. Also this will not happen for every chapter but I felt that the last shall we say Spike-chapter needed to be explained from Harry's perspective.

With love,

Mari-chan


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty Three

The day of the meeting was in one word hell. Having not felt the need to use any wards on his bedroom he awake to find Remus in his room trying to convince him that this was all a bad idea. Harry however stuck to his choice and refused to back down from meeting his mate. Another thing that he had to think about was what he would wear to the manor, eventually with Hermione's help he decided to wear the robes Lord Malfoy had given him for the ball. When the time came for them to go into the floo he waited as one by one the others made their way to Malfoy Manor.

Harry waited for his time but when he was the only one left in the house and the floo powers was in his hands he hesitated. Although he decided to go through with meeting the man, when it came time he was nervous. Despite everything else he was worried that besides the protection that maybe this Lord Malfoy would be too strong or fast and maybe he would be taken. Besides that he didn't know if his presence would be well received. What if despite it all it wasn't Harry that was his mate? What if this vampire didn't like what he saw and tried to change him? All the Lords he heard of besides his godfather always carried on their line regardless of their sexual preference and he was unable to do so. Would this be a problem for Lord Malfoy?

It was something he knew he would have to talk about with the vampire once they were able to spend some time together. Being a vampire he didn't even know if Lord Malfoy could continue his line, what if he couldn't and he became crazed because of it? Knowing that time was running short Harry threw in the floo powder and called out the destination before he felt himself swirling through the floo network. Unlink most times Harry was able to land on his own two feet with only a slight stumble on the other side. With his wand hidden in his sleeve he opened his eyes quickly and looked at the only man there he didn't know.

For a single moment time seemed to freeze, during which he felt for the first time that nothing else would ever matter again. With the limited knowledge of vampire mates and the bond that they would share he didn't know originally if he would feel anything for the older male. Once he laid eyes on the vampire he knew that if he couldn't make this work that there would be more than one broken heart. The man was beautiful, there was no other word he could find to describe him. His long brown hair, his perfect feature, everything from his hair to his toes was simply perfect. In that instant he understood that he also was a part of this bond, that Lord Malfoy had not only been given a gift but that Harry himself was given one.

That moment passed fairly quickly when Harry realized that Lord Malfoy must have caught his sent as his expression changed. Instead of the well composed man that he was expecting he saw how his eyes literally glowed and his fangs and claws broke to show what he truly was. Unlike what he read about in his DADA books there was hardly any change to the face of the man before him which he was grateful for. Instead only his eyes and fangs seemed to change. Everyone in the room had their wands out and pointed towards the vampire except for Harry. Surprisingly Harry didn't feel the need to bring up his wand; there was no sense of true danger coming from the man even though he would be the target.

William Malfoy did prove to him that he would be able to control himself as he quickly closed his eyes, breathed deeply and came back to himself. Harry, Remus and Dumbledore seemed to understand how much will the vampire had to bring himself together. Not many creatures were able to resist the call of their mates sent; even fewer dark creatures were able to stop themselves from claiming their mate regardless of the place or time. When William finally came back to himself Harry almost breathed a sigh of relief, his voice was something that he hadn't been expecting.

It was the sound of an angel Harry was sure, the sound of his own personal angel that was either going to make or break him. The words didn't matter, only the sound of his voice and Harry wished that he was able to say anything back but all he could do was nod and follow them to the meeting room. Somehow he managed to take his seat and not do anything stupid while he ate his food, along with the rest of the table. The food was wonderful, and was able to distract him for a short while before he chanced a glance at his mate. Before he could get caught he looked back to his food again and continued to eat until dinner was done and the meeting could begin.

The meeting itself Harry found was very informative, at first he and his friends were formally introduced into The Order which made a small feeling of pride come into his chest. He and his friends had been fighting Voldemort long enough and were finally being able to official help out in the war effort. He was unsurprised by the round of applause by those at the table but was surprised however when William's hands did not move, but instead he looked to Mrs. Weasley and nodded his head slightly to her. Harry was so caught up in what William was doing that he missed what Dumbledore said.

Thankful that William missed it as well Harry listed closer when Dumbledore repeated his question. Inside he was a bit weary of who this 'friend' could be, as much as he hated the idea of not having a choice in whom his life-mate was he didn't want the other sleeping around. He had made that point quite clear. His response both calmed and unnerved him, however having contacts inside the werewolf packs would be helpful. Remus had mentioned more than once how the packs didn't trust him anymore.

Hearing William claim that he would be able to stop most of Voldemort's vampire support was unnerving. Just how much power and authority did this one vampire have that he could claim such a thing? It seemed as though Moody agreed with him as he lashed out against William. A shiver worked its way down his spine as William laid his titles and achievements before them, his power in the vampire world would come in handy but what did he have to do to achieve such power? The more important question was what would the vampires want? He was sure they went to Voldemort due to promises of being able to kill muggles as they please so what could William offer those vampires?

Voicing his concern he wasn't expecting the answer that was given, but once again he was blown away by the sound of the vampire's voice. What he could respect however was the fact that William didn't seem to believe in trying to change his image, to downplay what he had done. Harry had originally thought that perhaps their courting would be biased on lies, which William would try to paint himself as the ever-loving vampire and not a dark creature and he was glad that this was not the case. When Hermoine spoke he felt a sense of fondness her love of equal rights would always make him feel proud of her to speak up for what she believes in.

He knew as William spoke that in this case she wouldn't win. There was no humanoid creature more terrifying then the vampire, they were known as nothing but ruthless and trying to politically win them over would never work. What he did appreciate was how gently William let her down in her way of thinking, instead of calling her out on her idea he instead taught her something new. He could tell by the look in her eye that she was disappointed but he explained it well enough that she could understand why she was wrong even if she didn't like it.

Ron was the last person he thought would speak up but he was glad that he did. Harry too was wondering what had caused this vampire to become the exception to the rule, what changed him to learn to control himself? Catching the gaze of William he could feel the sparks in the air, his vampire had the most beautiful pair of eyes he had ever seen. The story that came from him was heartbreaking, his sire and grand-sire like his own mother and father left him to himself, the only difference being that Harry's parents had tried so hard to keep him while William's gave him up of their own control.

His answer did raise some more questions, what was the rarest and 'best' blood out there? What was this 'series of events' that he spoke of? He hoped that he would be able to find an answer. The way he voiced his request to Albus made him pause, he didn't say that all of the ones he was contacting had control around children, only that the ones that did were to be permitted into Hogwarts. If he didn't believe that all of them should be then what kind of vampires, what kind of other people would he be asking for help from?

His grand-sire sounded like a story all of its own, which lead to the question of the soul. He said that his grand-sire was cursed with his soul, but did that mean that no other vampire had one? If they didn't was it possible for them to get one? Did William? And who was this slayer they were talking of? So many questions he hoped he would find out the answer to. When Moody once again spoke out Harry couldn't help but gaze up at William waiting for his answer.

The answer he got was not one that he was expecting or wanted. He may not know what he wanted to do with his life but he did know that the thought of having his mate's lover around brought a surge of jealousy to him. When he heard the word lover he had to make sure, which caused their eyes to lock again and his knees to feel weak. What he said made his heart start jump, it seemed as though the story was right about the power of the bond of a vampire. There was only truth and love in his eyes, only the hope that Harry knew he could give him for them to be together. There was only one word to describe it... it was love.

The next thing Harry knew William's expression changed from one of pure love to one of pure sadness. Harry was shocked at how it affected him, how he wanted to comfort the vampire before him in what seemed to be his time of need. Perhaps it was just the bond, the magical trace between the two of them, but he didn't want to cause the vampire before him any more pain. William's answer to Hermione's question made Harry question what was being said himself, what did William mean by him stating that the bond may affect him. Nobody before mentioned that there may be side-effects for the vampire from the bond, or how it would affect Harry himself.

Opening his mouth to speak he was cut off when he saw a phoenix sore down from the doorway into the room and land on William's shoulder. William seamed to tense even as he petted the majestic bird on his shoulder, tensing for what Harry didn't know but he assumed that he would find out. When William answered his unasked question Harry felt a slight sense of rejection but brushed it off when Moody once again began to speak out against his mate. Nobody not even the headmaster could have been expecting what happened next.

Harry saw how everyone raised their wands except himself when William took his own out, but they weren't expecting the Lord to change his appearance so drastically. Even if he didn't know who William was to him, he would admit the vampire looked _good_ in his muggle clothes and his spiked blond hair. As he was ogling his mate the man came closer to him which caused everyone to tense around him and the atmosphere to change defensive. Being handed the vampires wand Harry didn't know what to do, to give someone your wand was the greatest form of trust for a wizard and here this Lord of the Malfoy house was giving him his.

Taking the wand Harry kept his eyes on the older man as he moved. His was a bit startled when the vampire called for his elf but thought nothing of it, when he put on the duster jacket however it seemed like he just completed a perfect outfit for himself. He looked gorgeous. The request that was made was reasonable Harry felt and he didn't hear anyone protest to it, instead everyone seemed to settle down and wait for this hopefully new ally to come into the room. The way that William let his elf talk to him caused Harry to like the man a bit more, after all after Dobby he couldn't stand people who looked down to elves.

Harry managed to catch William's eye for a short second before the doors opened and the one he assumed was Oz stepped in. He wasn't much to look at compared to the vampire, brown hair a small body and eyes the same colour as Remus, but nothing was extraordinary which strangely made Harry feel a bit better. Harry didn't make so much as a peep while the two men spoke about things he didn't understand. He just tried to commit it all to memory so that when he had the chance to talk to the vampire he could ask about what the werewolf was talking about.

When William donated his blood to the werewolf he didn't know what to think. He knew from personal experience in fourth year the power one can call with the use of blood, but what did William expect this Oz to do with it and why did he trust him so much with it? To hear that the vampire before him was strong enough that his blood alone could act as a repellant was impressive. When Oz asked about him he didn't even try to hide how closely he was listening, what kind of trouble was William putting himself in for him?

William's answer both surprised and impressed him. It wasn't until then that he realized that William was doing everything, risking everything just to keep him safe. It was both sweet and insulting. But when Oz asked about if his soul became tainted that answer surprised him even more. It was up to him, either way this vampire would stand by him even if he turned, if he allowed that whisper in the back of his mind to take control... if he became the next Dark Lord this vampire declared that he would stay with him. Harry suppose that the main question of the night, the one he wanted answered the most is what exactly did William do for this Buffy? And what did he get in return?

Harry tried to catch his mates' eye but for the first time it seemed as though he was being avoided. What Moody said was beyond rude and it caused Harry to glare angrily at the man, his own blood had been used to being the Dark Lord back to life, had been used to carve into his own hand and he could understand completely why William wouldn't give it up. The offer of them spending the night kind of threw Harry off guard regardless that he was told that it could happen.

When Dumbledore asked where he would be sleeping, Harry glared slightly at the man. The fact that William seemed insulted as well at the question made his heart hurt slightly but it was Ron that brought his attention back. If William already had rooms made specifically for him then why would he offer somewhere else for him to sleep, unless he truly didn't expect anything of him. At William's nod Dumbledore gave the order and one by one again they were led to their rooms by elves except for himself, his best friends the headmaster and Remus.

Harry couldn't help but be impressed by the manor as they walked to where he assumed was the wing they would be sleeping in. There was so much to see! So many paintings both muggle and magical, so many different antiques and the marble floors were just too much. Curiously Harry looked at his mate as grand as this manor was, didn't the vampire get lonely by himself with so much space? And what did the rooms look like that he had prepared for him?

At the instructions on what they could do and the warning to try and not touch anything they didn't really know Harry couldn't help but at least ask about the piece of wood he was still holding. His answer prompted Hermoine to ask about the room that they couldn't use, as Harry didn't feel comfortable enough asking. Harry was a bit taken back when he heard that William had the room completely redone for him, having originally been made for a woman. William must have seen his look as he reassure him, but Harry couldn't help himself he needed to see it.

"Can I see it?"

He could see the way that William tensed but lead the way to the room; the only thing that Harry could think would cause that would be the fear of rejection. He noticed as the rest of the group fanned out to choose their rooms while Harry was lead to his, regardless of what it looked like he wouldn't cause this vampire any more pain then what he had suffered today he would take the room designed for him. He needn't have worried however as when the door opened he realized that this man had really wished to impress him, it was perfect.

It made him feel happy that someone had spent so much time to figure out what he would like, to do something like this just for him. After stepping into the room Harry told William just how much he liked the room saying his goodnight he shut the door and looked around the spacious area. Opening the closet he pulled out some back silk pyjamas and took them along with some boxers to the bathroom to get changed and use the loo. Once he was done he cuddled up under the soft sheets and was sleep in only mere moments.

Sighing happily he thought about how much he had learnt and how much had changed in the past few hours. He was now willing to do something he originally rejected; he was willing to give this... whatever it was a try.

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer... though I wish I owned Spike... yummy! I make no profit from writing this story.

A/N:Hey guys! Well we've made it to chapter 23! I hope you all enjoy this challenge as much as I do!

With love,

Mari-chan


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty Four

The night with the two mates so close together had different effects although neither were aware of how the other slept. Harry for the first time in a long time was able to sleep peacefully with not a single nightmare to disturb him, his magic comforted by his mate being so close. William on the other hand didn't sleep even in the slightest not wanting to miss anything should his mate wake up. Instead he laid there in his bed, and just listened, straining his hearing much as he could to keep track of any movement in the room beside his own. He had to listen through not only the two doors separating them but the room between the two.

Around four in the morning William decided that enough was enough and move from his bed after putting on a pair of silk pyjama bottoms and opened the door to the connecting room. Since he knew that he wouldn't be sleeping that night he left his own door open so that he could walk between the two rooms and gathered up the correspondence that he had been writing back and forth to any family he thought might help. He had gotten back a few responses, but he was still waiting for the one that would cause the most uproar, taking the letters one of the desks in the sitting room he began to work. One by one he responded to the letters that he was given, including one from Gringotts and The Ministry about his appeal for the votes cast by Lucius Malfoy.

It seemed as though the minister was trying to hold him from finding the files that were rightfully his. Growling lowly, William had to stop himself from burning the letter with the candle he had lit to read the letters. Instead he set it aside and placed all his attention to the one from Gringotts. Thankfully the minister was unable to do anything about the vaults in Gringotts; no minister could as it was not held by Wizarding law but by that of the goblins that run it. Sure they were required to hire so many humans and they could not punish humans by goblin standards but no human could ever claim to own or control the bank. The fact that it was called the greatest Wizarding bank was something that William found extremely funny.

Inside of the letter it gave a breakdown of his accounts, of what he owned and what companies that he was an investor for. The list of titles and companies surprised him, sure he knew that he was loaded but he supposed that he didn't realize exactly how much he owned. On the list were a few properties that he thought perhaps he would be able to set up for the less fortunate of Order members. It would be seen as a gesture of good will he supposed but in all honesty he just didn't have any other use for them. Making a separate note for Blitsy who he knew was trained to be able to read and write as head elf.

In the note he wrote down the names of the properties along with instructions to make a list for each one on what needed to be done to it to make it habitable for humans. He also requested her to bring some other elves to help with the job and to see what would be needed for it to be comfortable but not to buy anything until he visited them himself as he wanted to make sure there to his tastes. Thinking it over for a moment he requested her to get a few more elves to have them send anything of value or of family history to his vaults and he would look at them latter.

Placing that note inside his bedroom on the desk there he went back to his work, Gringotts, Merlin bless them had decided to include with their letter a list of his titles that were magically sealed to present to The Ministry. It seemed as though Griphook wasn't too fond of the current Mister Malfoy trying to get into his vaults. Once he was finished and at the end of the Gringotts letter, William paused for a few moments and just listened to the sound of his mate breathing in the next room. Not for the first time that night he wished that he was able to get through to the room even if only just to look upon the other man.

_'It's such a shame that he will be leaving once this is all over. This wasn't his choice, and no matter how much hope he gives me he is The-Boy-Who-Lived in this world and with that comes expectations... ones that you can't meet Spike.'_ Sighing, William looked to the piece of blank parchment that he had pulled out earlier. The fact remained that he didn't know if this bond, if having his mate reject him would harm him but he did know that he was lucky enough that it would probably kill him.

Changing quills he went to his own desk and reached down to the bottom drawer and pulled out a blood quill. Bringing it to the desk he claimed as his own in the shared room he paused only slightly before he brought the quill to the parchment. William didn't so much as wince as he wrote down what would be his last will and testament, unlike in the muggle world he could do this on any old parchment so long as there was enough blood and magic to confirm that it was him that wrote it and of his own free will. A will was one of the very few reasons someone was legally able to use a blood quill which was why they weren't completely banned and why every pure-blood had at least one in their home.

The quill pulled more than just blood from the body; of those with magic it pulled the slightest bit of magic as well. The longer one worked with one the more magic was poured into the parchment, the problem was that eventually it would scar ones hand enough that potions wouldn't heal it. William didn't have that problem being what he was so he carefully penned out each word until the whole parchment was full with his last wishes and his estate was divided up like he wished. He left everyone with something even Angel and Dru.

Once he was done he watched as the hand which was bleeding healed, it was a slow process but once his skin was blemish free he read over his will. Murmuring a drying charm he read it over, making sure that he accounted for everything, and pleased with the result he allowed himself a moment to look over what he would be leaving those he held dear. Most of it would be going to his mate; after all it wasn't his fault any more than it was William's that they were tied to this bond. Seeming to know that he was needed Allah came to him and looked at the parchment; folding it neatly he placed it inside an envelope and sealed it with a wax seal of the Malfoy crest.

Taking the letter he attached it to Allah who flew away to deliver his will, William knew Griphook would receive it without any kind of interference. Seeing that he didn't have much more to do William hurried and got the rest of his letters done, he would once again need to rent out a few owls to get them all done. One of them was set aside for when Princess got back so that she could take it to Lucius Malfoy, the Minister of Magic and _The Prophet_. He was done playing nice and it was time that he took what was his. As he knew that Blitsy would be working hard for the next few days, Spike decided that he would go down to the kitchen himself to order what he wanted for breakfast.

Looking down at himself he checked the time from a grandfather clock that was against one of the walls and saw that it was quarter after six in the morning. Shrugging his shoulders he didn't bother putting on a shirt, this was after all his home and he highly doubted that very many people would be up. Walking through to his own room he then left his chambers and made his way down to the kitchen, along the way he noticed that the wolf and the headmaster were not in their rooms but didn't much care. Walking down to the kitchen William past the open dinning doors where he caught the headmaster, wolf, Molly Weasley, her husband and the paranoid one drinking what was probably tea.

Not bothering to stop William instead made his way into the back of the kitchen, seeing that the elves there stopped what they were doing to look at him he couldn't help but smile. He was glad that he thought to make a clause in who gets the home that they could not harm the elves or else the house would be forfeit to the next in line and so on and so forth until in the end the house would remain to the elves themselves. Clearing his throat he carefully ordered breakfast and to start preparation so that those who were awake could have something light to eat while they waited for the younger ones to wake.

Right away the elves got to work, they would be making a full English breakfast once more people awoke but until then some tea-biscuits and light finger food were made. Of course they already had some tea and even some coffee was on the stove. Shrugging once again William got himself a cup of coffee and added a bit of sugar and milk before taking it into the dining room, even though he had a separate room for breakfast that he would instruct everyone to go to once they started to wake up. Ignoring the glare that was directed to him by the paranoid one, William didn't acknowledge him when he sat down at the head of the table and took a small sip of his coffee.

Running a hand through his hair he was reminded that he would have to grow it out again if he wanted to be seen in the magical world. Not wanting to bother right now, as he didn't have the potion on hand and he didn't want to demonstrate too much wand-less magic in front of everyone he decided to keep it as it was for now.

"I had thought that having young Mister Potter so close to your own room that you perhaps wouldn't leave until he left it himself. I see that I was mistaken."

Looking to the old man, William couldn't be bothered arguing today, it seemed that perhaps not sleeping for the night and day wasn't such a good idea. Not being able to fix it as he was sure most people would be awake before too long he reminded himself that he did promise he would answer questions today.

"I found that he was safe enough in my home that I could leave him alone for a bit in order to make preparations for breakfast as I'm sure you all are hungry and the others will be once they wake."

"So tell me Lord Malfoy what do you think of your mate now that you have actually seen him?"

Spike had to stop himself from snorting and saying something rude back to the headmaster. There was something there, hidden in the question that he just caught a bit of, it was something that he couldn't quite place but it made him cautious just the same.

"He is my mate; please do not try to simplify this by asking such questions. What do I think of him? I think that he's a nice boy, has at least two friends that will stand by him and that he seems to trust. He is at least putting up the image of trying with this, at least that's what I took of him accepting his room last night. He seems to put a lot of trust in yourself and in your wolf. I was surprised by how down to earth he feels, I mean I've seen and been around my share of people who thought that they were better than everyone else and I didn't quite know if he would have that attitude or not given his title."

There was a twinkle in the old mans' eyes, something that William noticed was becoming a common occurrence around the man.

"I see, and you seem to be handling yourself well around him. Some of us believed that you would try to claim him as soon as you saw him but you got a hold of yourself rather quickly. It was impressive I must say."

Nodding his head a bit hesitantly, William noticed how the paranoid one... he believed his name was Moody tensed slightly before relaxing as did the wolf.

"You also showed no sign of aggression against his friends. I suppose Lord Malfoy that I wish to know where you got so much control. Your previous actions would lead us to believe that you would lose yourself in front of your mate but yet you are able to handle yourself well and not even attempt to break into his room. You are even here instead of beside his bedroom as I expected you to be, so I must ask you is Mister Potter truly your mate?"

Spike couldn't hold back the growl that escaped when Albus questioned the bond to his mate. If he was honest with himself the man did make sense but he knew that the younger man was his mate, his sent and the pull he felt to please the boy explained it all. It didn't make much sense the control he held or the amount of freedom he was willing to give the young man, but he supposed that since there was no case that he knew of for a vampire mate-bond perhaps this was how it was supposed to be.

"I know without a shadow of a doubt that the young man known as Harry James Potter is in fact my mate. He is the one whose magic I find both soothing and tempting, the one who's very scent puts me on edge. There isn't a thing about him that doesn't call to me, and I do not appreciate you or anyone questioning it. This bond, this mate was given to me and depending on his choices and his alone I will accept no other... be it that this turns to be a curse or the greatest gift ever known."

Not even Moody had anything to say to that. Remus he saw had a new look in his eyes while he looked at him, changing to look at Molly and her alone he noticed that she had a light blush on her cheeks while she looked at him.

"I promise, no I swear with everything that I am that I will protect him until my dying moment. I will do everything, use every resource, every person be them human or otherwise that I can to protect him. I don't care what I have to do, I will give him the chance that I never had, what my sire took from me."

Molly nodded her head slightly; there wasn't much else that could be said. Turning back to Albus, Spike caught another look in the old man's eyes, something that he hadn't seen in so many years that it took him a while to figure out what it was. Pride. Something that he had done, or something that he had said made the man proud and for a moment William found himself feeling a warm sensation. Having been lightly sipping on his coffee during the talk, he noticed that his cup was empty. Placing the cup down on the table he didn't bother to suppress the stretch instead he merely stood up once he was done and turned for the door.

Harry took a while to wake up, and when he did it was to a strange bed and with the sound of a shower running somewhere close by. It took him a few minutes to get himself together and to remember where he was, when he did he couldn't help the blush that came to his face. He was in the room built for him from his vampire-mate. Staying in the bed for a bit longer he allowed himself to relax, this was absolutely the most comfortable bed he had ever laid in, ever.

Stretching under the covers he slowly got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom that William had shown him the night before. It took him a few minutes to relieve himself and then to figure out which one of the containers beside the tab was the soap before he was out of the bathroom. Going to his walk-in closet the same size as the dorm room at school he looked around at the clothes inside. There was a bit of everything all neatly organized in different categories. From left to right he had pyjamas, casual wear, muggle attire (normal, punk, and formal including a few suits), normal day robes, formal robes (that he didn't believe he would have to find a reason to use seeing how expensive they must have been) and he even had a new set of school robes and what he knew to be battle robes.

For all occasions he had shoes on their own rack by the far wall, there were dress shoes, boots (dragon-hide, what looked to be scales from what he assumed was basilisk, and regular leather), sneakers (with a few different name brands and styles). Alongside his shoes was a different selection of accessories including belts, ties, cufflinks, and even some jewelry including rings, earnings and bracelets? The only thing he didn't seem to have was any kind of necklace, which brought an image of the pendant to his mind. _'He must have hoped that I would wear the pendant, so I wouldn't need any other kind of necklace or pendants... and I came here obviously without it.'_

Deciding that he would speak to William about it later he looked around until he found some causal muggle clothes that he would like to wear. Looking around he noticed a dresser to the right and opening the drawers he pulled out a pair of boxers and socks to go with the pair of black jeans and green silk top that he chose. Going back into the bathroom he noticed that the sound of the shower stopped while he walked into his own shower.

Spike knew that it was rude to leave without saying anything but if he was honest with himself he didn't care. Instead he went to his room, catching the girl who was friends with his mate along the way and watching her blush while he nodded to her before opening his door and entering his own person sanctuary. Moving directly to his shower he dropped his pants and started to run the water while he held himself against the wall. Letting the hot water run down his head he let himself relax.

**This scene has been cut for the posting and is available on and **

Placing the hand that had been previously pleasuring himself against the wall, Spike allowed himself a few moments to catch up with himself. After a few minutes he one again used some of the body-wash only this time he merely cleaned himself before using his shampoo and conditioner. Once he was done and clean he turned off the water and dried himself off with a towel before muttering a drying charm. Not even bothering to wrap a towel around his waist he made his way naked into his bedroom.

Having sent Blitsy off to work on the properties he picked out some informal robes to wear. Choosing a robe that was black with a few snakes weaved into the fabric in emerald he quickly got dressed. He could hear that Harry was in his own shower and heard when the young man left the bathroom. Deciding to leave to make sure that breakfast was ready he opened his door and turned to go down the hall. At the same time Harry walked out of his room. As they both left at the same time for a moment neither said a word until Spike decided to break the ice while he left his room and closed the door behind him.

"Good morning, love. I was just on my way to make sure that breakfast was served... would you like me to escort you to the breakfast room? I have made sure that elves would escort the others there around this time."

When Harry smiled at him Spike swore he could feel his long-dead heart beat again. They didn't hold hands, nor did they really touch but every once and a while their hands would brush as they walked down to the breakfast room, neither having to say a word as they were comfortable in each other's presence.

Disclaimer:I do not own Buffy The Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter... if I did Snape and Spike would both have a timeshare... on me!... I make no profit from writing this story.

A/N:Hey guys! Sorry about having to cut some of this out, for those of you who were curious it was a scene with masturbation. It wasn't anything that was really plot-changing but I felt that it was something that I wanted to write regardless.

With love,

Mari-chan


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty Five

There was quite the uproar when the two of them showed up for breakfast together, for the ones that didn't get to sleep in the family wing it seemed as though they believed that he had violated his own mate. Sighing William took a step away from Harry who he noticed had tensed as soon as they had walked into the room. He supposed that it was logical that Harry wouldn't want those that he considered family to think ill of him. Taking his spot at the head of the table he watched shocked as his mate instead of taking the spot down the table almost beside the headmaster instead chose to sit on the previously empty spot at his right.

Pleased William instead of merely having his glass of blood decided to actually eat while his mate was close to him. He still had his goblet of wine-blood but instead of just waiting for the others to be done he ignored those that were still yelling snapped his fingers and the food appeared in front of everyone. As he didn't have much time to prepare and not knowing what everyone liked he had everything for a full English breakfast on the table. Everyone could get their own meal with what they liked, and he took a cup of tea and some biscuits to nibble on while the others ate their meal.

It wasn't much but he could tell from their reaction the night before that it put the younger ones at ease to see him eating. Making a note to eat at least something when he had the others over for a meeting even if it was only something small William took another sip of his tea before he glanced at his mate. He hadn't wanted to seem to overbearing in watching the young man; however he couldn't help but try to find out what his mate liked for breakfast. While his intention was merely to glance at his mates' plate he couldn't help but notice the way that his young mate was eating.

The boy seemed to saver every bite, as he chewed his meal he seemed to have a look of complete bliss on his face. William knew that the cooking-elves were wonderful; he had been told so and remembered his days as a human when he enjoyed his meals but it was nothing like how Harry was eating. His right hand was holding the fork as he went from bite to bite but he had his left hand on the table, holding the plate. When he went to take a drink he still never let go of the plate, instead he would put the fork down and would take it with his right hand.

He didn't rush through the meal, but there was a settling fury in the pit of his stomach that made him hold back a growl. In his time he had fed upon every kind of human, but something he learnt a long time ago was never to go after the hungry, they didn't satisfy his own hunger if they couldn't get enough for their own. So in order to avoid them he started looking for signs so that he wouldn't take an unwanted meal. Looking at Harry now, there were some of the same signs that he learnt to look out for. The boy wasn't shovelling all the food he could down his throat... no he had gone long times without food and had done that before and had learnt from the lesson.

Closing his eyes, Spike had to control his vampire; if he didn't there wasn't anything in this world that would stop him from hunting down the muggles that did this to him. Even if he wasn't his mate he still would feel the anger, Harry was at least left without food for a while; it was why he wouldn't let go of his plate and why he seemed to enjoy every bite. This time he couldn't stop the growl that came from deep in his chest, he didn't dare open his eyes to see who noticed. Instead he thought back to the information that Griphook had so kindly gotten for him, there were pieces missing but one thing was for sure his mate was raised by muggles, and ones that didn't care for him.

Feeling himself about to lose control, William tried to think of something, anything to control his anger. His need to protect his mate was almost overwhelming until he realized that he had the ability to at least stop this problem from happening again. Opening his eyes even though he knew that there would be traces of red in them, that his eyes would be almost glowing he turned his mate. His voice was strained but he managed to get the question out.

"Your relatives, the ones that you stay with... are you ever going back there again?"

When Harry looked fearful he tried harder to control his vampire but it wasn't possible, turning as Harry did to Albus he let the old man see how close to the edge he was. Staring right into his eyes he didn't need to worry about having his mind invaded as with his turning he grew a natural ability to stop wizards trying to enter his mind... they had to get through his inner vampire first and that was next to impossible. There was a lack of twinkle in the old man's eyes and Spike had a feeling that he wouldn't like the answer that he was about to hear.

"Mister Potter is only just seventeen and the wards around his aunt's house will hold until his eighteenth birthday. Since he doesn't turn eighteen until the end of July he will be returning one last time after his seventh year until his eighteenth birthday. This will provide protection for both him and his relatives until that time. It will give us more time to defeat Voldemort and his followers."

Closing his eyes again Spike breathed deeply to keep his composer but when he opened his eyes he could see the hesitation in Albus' eyes as well as how the old man pushed his hand under his robe, probably to grab his wand. In the corner of his eye he could see others do the same but they all knew that he was unarmed, having given his wand away last night.

"He will not be returning to that hell hole. Those _muggles_ will have to find a new sanctuary, perhaps outside of the country. I will not allow him, either by your will or his own to be placed in that house again. If there is anything there that he wants I will retrieve it for him, or someone else will but he will _not_ step foot inside of that place while I still have magic flowing through my veins."

It wasn't Albus or Harry that spoke but Remus who was sitting beside his mate, his hand on the young mans' shoulder, probably to get him to calm down. He couldn't find it in himself to care that his mate was mad, hell he would be furious if someone he just met was telling him he couldn't do something but his protection outweighed everything else.

"And where do you suppose he stay at the end of the year, out in the open? I may not like the idea of him going back there every year but it's safe, nobody with the dark mark can enter that place, and neither can Voldemort."

Catching a quick glance at his mate, he saw the fury but the resignation in his posture; he didn't think that William would win, that he wouldn't have to go back.

"He can stay anywhere he wishes, I have places all over the world all of which are warded. He could stay in the manor here if he wanted and I could go stay somewhere else, besides that I know for a fact that you have a meeting place which I am sure is someone's home. If he wanted I'm sure that the Weasley household would be willing to take him in for a couple of months, hell I don't care if he stays in a hotel in the middle of Japan. He will not be going back to his mothers' sisters' house."

"You said that nobody with the dark mark can enter the house and that makes it safe... that doesn't protect against those without the mark does it? If you want to protect him from the monsters of the world then don't put him in the same house as the worst monsters out there!"

When one of them, one that could change her appearance went to protest, he held up his hand and turned his still glowing eyes to Albus Percival Wilfric Brian Dumbledore.

"I will not budge on this issue; there isn't a thing in this world anymore that I will fight for more than his safety. Right now it is taking _everything_ I have not to attack because there isn't a doubt in my mind that you noticed. If I can figure it out in only a few minutes then you must have known after six years. I don't want to know why, in fact it's best if I don't but there isn't _any_ reason for him to go back to that hell and I will not allow you to place him in harm."

He could out of the corner of his eye see his mate pale at the words. Realization seemed to spring in most of the people's eyes, but it was the guilty ones that he took a note of. Unclenching his hands that he didn't even notice were digging into his palm he watched for a moment as his blood started to flow before he brought one hand up to his mouth and licked at the blood before licking at the other.

"We will decide at a later date where he will stay, I believe that should after all have input from Mister Potter."

Looking at his mate he saw the hesitation on his face, it took him a while before he knew he would regret what he would have to say to get his mate to agree.

"What about the Dursley's? If I don't go back will they be a target?"

"There is that possibly, my boy that they will be a target after housing you for so long Voldemort may use them to get to you. The wards keep them safe but they will only work for so long as you go back..."

"Do not force my hand, old man."

His voice was the only warning that he would give the man, the only chance that he had to try and accept his choice. By the look in the man's eyes he wasn't about to back down, and it caused William to sigh before he ran a hand through his hair, a habit of his.

"I believe I said before that Harry's opinion in the matter does not matter in this case. His safety means more to me than his choice on the matter."

Looking at Harry he gave a half-smile before he continued.

"The wards around the house that you were staying in are not indestructible and they will last for about a year after you last left them if they are the ones I believe them to be. They do in fact protect those that live there, but my guess is that they aren't as strong as Dumbledore lets you believe."

Now turning to Albus he raised an eyebrow while he spoke to the headmaster.

"A ward in which someone has to return every year in order to charge them, made after the death of his family and placed with I'm guessing his only remaining relative. You created blood wards, ones tied probably to the mother that sacrificed herself for the life of her son. The love of the mother to protect the son, I take it?"

Seeing Albus nod he growled loudly this time, his voice changing with a slight edge to it.

"Those wards may look strong but I bet my duster that they are as weak as the muggles they are protecting. In order for wards built on love to work, there has to be actual love in the home between the one they are tasked to protect and the ones whose blood they share. The only reason I can figure the Dark Lord hasn't killed them already is because he wouldn't think you to be so foolish!"

Turning once again to Harry, William spoke again, his voice firm.

"You don't need to worry about the wards and your muggles. It would actually be safer for them to move to somewhere else, those wards if my guess is right are about ready to fall anyways. I will have someone sent to explain it to them in order to get them to move, you don't need to do anything except chose where you would like to live after you are done of school. I will have my account manager make up a list of what properties you can choose from if you like."

"How did you know?"

The soft voice of his mate made William almost feel sorry about what he had revealed to the others, but by the look in Remus' and Molly's eyes it was the right thing to do. He could have kept it to himself but then who would back him up in this if it all went south? He needed those that loved the boy as a parent should to back him up on this if he couldn't get Albus to back off.

"It's the way you eat... I'm sorry I didn't notice last night but I've seen it before. You hold your plate, you saver every bite that you take but you make sure to take your time. I bet that the first time that you ate a lot you got sick because your stomach couldn't handle all the food after having next to nothing. You hunch slightly forward to protect the food from leaving but not enough to cause others to wonder about you, very clever on that by the way."

"If it was so clever how come you noticed?"

Glancing around the table again to notice those that seemed to have a guilty expression on his face he snarled at them before he turned back to Harry. His tone softened and his eyes stopped glowing while he calmed himself back down to comfort his mate.

"I'm sorry love, but I wasn't the only one who noticed... I'm just the only one here besides your wolf that will always think of you and only you. I will never listen to someone if I think just for a second that they may be wrong about you and your safety, I will not have my concerns pushed aside and I will not back down from a fight when I am fighting for you, ever."

Seeing a sad smile on the young man's face, William was surprised when he reached out to the hand that was closest to him and gripped it. His mate whispered a soft "Thank you." and Spike was sure that for a second he could feel his soul, could feel it inside him and glowing.

Harry couldn't help but blush as he touched his mates hand, it took a bit of will power for him to let go. He never expected this when he woke up this morning, although he did expect an argument from the way that everyone started shouting as soon as they walked into the breakfast area. It was hard to believe that all that had happened and it was only a bit after ten in the morning. Harry had seen the way that William had left his side, and how he had sat down at his spot at the table and for a split second he thought that he was being rejected until he understood... it was a way for William to protect him.

Not wanting the man to feel like he was ashamed of him he had sat down to his right and felt warm at the small smile that graced William's face. The vampire still had his hair cut short and blond and he once again realized how good the other man looked. When breakfast was served he had gotten himself a plate, he always loved the Wizarding world even if only for the food. Making sure to taste and saver each bite he made a mental note to thank an elf later on today for the meal, it was wonderful. He could feel the gaze of his mate beside him, which made him slightly nervous and that was when everything went to hell.

Harry didn't know how, but somehow his mate, the man who wanted to be his for the rest of his life _knew about the Dursley's._ It made him angry at first when William said that his opinion didn't matter, that he wasn't going back to that house. It probably would have bothered him more but Remus placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him and he in all honesty didn't want to go back to that house. There wasn't a summer that he didn't beg not to go back, but his pleas were always ignored and he was always sent there every summer.

While he listened to William explain why he wasn't going back he could feel all the blood drain from his face. Sure he didn't really hide it as much as he could have but it worked for some reason, nobody seemed to pick up on the abuse at number 4. When Dumbledore mentioned his choice he thought about just jumping on what William said, he even offered to leave his own home for him. But then what about the Dursley's? Voicing his question he could see William deflate slightly while Dumbledore spoke but it was what William said after that which blew him away.

Love? This was the protection that was guarding him all these years? This was what he had to go back for each year to be abused? He had to hold back a snort; there was no love in that house not for him, never for him. William didn't give him a chance to argue with him, but for once he didn't care that someone was making a choice for him, after all it was a choice he would have jumped on if given the chance. Still there was a part that he didn't understand.

"How did you know?"

What William said did make sense, but he had always eaten like that. Sure there was a kid or two that asked why he didn't let go of his plate but he just said that he use to spill it on himself when he was younger and he didn't want it to happen again... stranger things happened and they bought it. Why did William notice when nobody else did? Was it a mate thing?

Asking his question the answer made him feel disappointed and pleased at the same time. On the one hand he hated that people noticed that he was being abused, that he wasn't being fed where he should be safe and didn't do anything. On the other hand, he finally was able to accept that come what may, no matter what happened with the war he at least had one person who was on his side and his side alone. This vampire was willing to lose what little bit of acceptance he got from The Order, was willing to upset Dumbledore and it was for him, only for him.

Seeing that William's hand was on the table he reached out his own and placed it on the vampires, it was cold but it warmed him inside. There was a spark between them when he touched the cold skin, in a soft tone, softer then he intended he thanked his vampire mate, a light blush on his cheeks. Seeing the way that William lit up he smiled as well at the vampire before he moved his hand. No matter what Bill said, he was getting that pendant back and it was never going to leave his neck if he had anything to say about it.

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer... gosh darn it!... I make no profit from writing this story.

A/N:Hey guys ^_^ For all of those that have been sending in reviews I would firstly like to just say how awesome every one of you are and how much I really do appreciate you taking the time to review.

I would also like to say that to all those that say that I need to edit my work... your right. I agree 110% that I need to work on my work :P My grammar sucks, as does my vocabulary and I use the word 'however' more than needed... however (did you see what I did there? :P) this is chapter 25 (*happy dance*) This story is over 60,000 words (*another happy dance*) and really if you made it this far, obviously my writing doesn't bother you as much as you let on. I know that when a fic is too bad for me, I just close out the link and move on to something else... by 5,000 words or less.

I would like to thank you all, the lovers, the okayers (new word?), the shruggers and the haters. Thank you every one of you for taking the time to write to me to tell me what you think of this story, I have worked really hard on it and even if you hated it thank you for upping my review count. If you loved it (and You-Know-Who you are... look at that my auto-correct changed it so that it had hyphens! *rolls on floor laughing*) Thank you for letting me know, it brightens even the worst day (and today was a bad one) and makes me want to do that much better on the next chapter.

With all the love I can give,

Mari-chan


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty Six

To say that the rest of breakfast was awkward was an understatement. After William practically forced Harry to stay somewhere else then his relatives and made people realize what was really happening at that house everyone seemed to fall silent. Spike didn't seem to notice that the room was in an awkward silence all he could think about was how perfect his mates hand felt against his own. For the first time since he knew how long it felt like he was doing something right for a change. It was a liberating sensation and it made his heart sore to think that maybe, just maybe he did have a chance with the young man.

After everyone was done with their meal, Spike finally came back to himself and stood up from the table. Announcing that he would like to finish up any questions that anyone had in an equal setting he walked out of the room to a new room that he hadn't shown them yet. Quick to follow all those present followed the vampire through the hallways to a new room which was as grand as the ballroom that some of them had seen not too long ago. Entering the room they were shocked to see that it was a war room, there were maps of both magical and muggle places along with charts and blackboards that they could plan with. In the centre of the room was what caught most eyes; there was a huge table which even if they all sat down would not even take up half of it in the middle of the room.

The table was made of cherry, polished even though there were slight breaks in the wood. There were some stains on the table, a couple which looked like blood, and some chips and nicks along the edge. The defining feature of the table wasn't the wear, but of its shape, it was a perfect circle. Although there was no head of the table, William took what appeared to be his spot at the very back of the table, his back facing a wall with a few maps hung upon it. Eventually everyone found their spot around the table, although it didn't seem to differ much from how they sat before, except this time Albus sat to William's right a couple seats down. Harry took William's direct right and was quickly followed by Remus who wanted to stay close to his cub.

"This room was something that my father used to show me with pride. From his stories every time that our family was involved in war the head of the family made sure that the documents would be duplicated for the family records but the originals were kept here. This is what I call our room of war. This table although not the table of King Arthur was made to duplicate it. It has been passed down the line for generations, and as you can see has seen some hard times but every head of the family has cast their own protective charms to both the table and this room to preserve and secure everything in here. I will ask you not to try to harm or steal anything or anyone in this room as I do not wish to test the wards in this place."

Albus smiled which was the first smile that he gave since it was revealed what Harry went through at his relatives' house. William didn't know why but he felt slightly relieved to see it.

"I suppose that we will be able to restrain ourselves from trying to destroy this room. Now I have a few things to address and then we can leave you alone, at least until the next meeting." Seeing William's nod to continue, Albus continued. "You mentioned a few times that you will be contacting your former alliances, I and the others would feel better if you would explain who those people would be. I would also like to know who will and will not be a danger to the school, and the children there in case the final battle plays on its grounds."

Opening his mouth, William tried to think of something to come up with, he didn't honestly know who all he would be contacting however he did have a good idea of who he would need. Sighing he decided to get this over with and described to the best of his ability the people and creatures that he would bring into the war.

"Some you already know about those who I will be bringing into this but I suppose I should start from scratch. First as you well know I contacted Oz, the werewolf you all saw last night. He's perfectly harmless unless the moon is full... even then I don't really know it's been years since that I saw him with last night being the exception. He will be leading hopefully his pack, and others which will no doubt be dangerous on the full moon and I know none of them so I wouldn't trust them at the castle unless Oz says that it's okay. He will be contacting a few people that I do know... who are harmless at least to children."

"Their leader is a woman named Buffy, who use to be the only vampire slayer in the world. She has been training since she was a teenager to hunt demons and vampires, it shouldn't be too hard for her to switch to Death Eaters. She is however accepting of the 'good' evil creatures such as myself and will not harm anyone that doesn't kill off defenceless people. Do not underestimate her or anyone that she brings with her... they have all saved the world more the once and are up for the challenge. I doubt she will go without her friend, the witch that Oz was talking about. Now Willow, I don't know how she will react around so much magic but if needed she is a powerhouse. She has more magic in her pinky finger then most wizards have in their whole body, but it is to be used as a last resort."

Seeing the question in Albus' eyes he decided to explain.

"As I told Oz, she messed with every kind of magic out there, with no filter except her own body. It made her for the most part a bit insane and addicted to the power. She lost herself and has been cutting herself off from magic in order to try and fix her mind. She can control herself now, but I'll be keeping a close eye on her with so much magic around, it will either help or harm her. Now they also will probably have with them a man whose name is Xander. Although he's mostly human there's a bit of him that's part demon too... he was possessed when he was in high school and that kind of thing stays with you. He used to be engaged to a revenge demon but that didn't pan out well for him. He's quick on his feet and sharp when he needs to be, he's a good man who would never harm anyone he didn't have to."

Not knowing who else Buffy would bring, if she would show up at all he skipped to outside of the Scoobies.

"I don't know if he will show up or not but I will be asking my grand-sire to come along for the trip. If this was back when I was first created then I would never even suggest him be around anything that he could sink his fangs into. Now though... he was cursed to have his soul which caused him to become more human than most people I've met. He's powerful for a vampire and like myself one of the few master vampires out there. I don't know who he lives with, or if he lives with anyone anymore so I can't tell you about them. I do know that if he approves of someone being around humans that they are harmless."

"What about your sire? Wouldn't you want them around as well?"

Remus was the one who asked the question but it caused an involuntary shiver to run down his spine at the thought of what Dru would do to the children.

"I promise you that I will not ask her for help in this. There would be too many risks... you see she became insane long before she turned me. She's violent, sadistic and enjoys the innocence of children's blood. If she goes into a school, I promise you that there is going to be at least one kid missing, she would never leave without taking one for a snack. If she does show up, which I doubt but you never know with her... please do not allow her at any point be alone with any of you, or with any child. Let me or Angel, my grand-sire deal with her if she shows up... we can control her... mostly."

"Why wouldn't we just kill her if she is as much of a threat as you make her out to be?"

Once again Spike had to keep himself from harming the man with one eye. This time he couldn't control his eyes from glowing or his growl from erupting from his chest. As much as he didn't approve of Drusilla and her methods anymore, he would never wish his sire harm. No matter what she gave him the gift of his life now, even if it seemed like a curse most days.

"No matter what she is, or what she has or will do she is still my sire. Besides what caused her to become insane is her rare gift... she's a seer. Or at least the closest that I've ever seen. I must bring up what I thought was understood without saying it. If anyone, regardless of what side of the war they are from harm those that I've named or those that they care about they will know exactly how I gained my power through the years. If they are willing to risk their lives to fight for me, then I will not have anyone kill them that are supposed to be on the same side as myself."

"What did they call you?"

Looking to his mate, William couldn't help but show the corner of his fang when he answered.

"But what else would they call me, love? My name before it was changed to Spike was no other than William the Bloody. I was the childe of Drusilla my dark princess, and grand-childe to the only Angelus. I was the Scourge of Europe.* I normally go by Spike though, considering it's what people have come to know me by... but honestly I should be getting use to people calling me William now that I'm back home."

"William the Bloody?"

Smiling at the youngest male Weasley he couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"Yeah, I had that name since before my turning. Once I came into my vampire though I made that name stick just a bit more along with the name Spike now that I think about it. But I suppose that is a story for another time."

Looking at Albus he asked his next question.

"There are only a few more days before I have to teach in your school... your other questions, can they wait until then?"

It seemed to take forever for Dumbledore to answer his request but once he did Spike sighed in relief. "Of course, I'm sure that you have a lot to prepare for." Standing, Spike lead them all to his floo and watched as one by one they flooed to wherever they were going until there was only a handful of people left. Turning to his mate, William smiled at the younger man.

"I will see you at Hogwarts, although please know that you are always welcome here. Also if you want anything from your room just write and I will have it sent to you, or you may call on Blitsy although she is busy right now. It might be best if you send the request by mail, she is preparing a few properties to be in a livable condition in case you chose them."

They staid standing there for what seemed like forever until Harry nodded to him and passed him his wand before he softly spoke. "I may take you up on that, well I guess this is goodbye for now. Thank you for having us over and for the room... I really do think it's perfect."

Not letting Spike say anything Harry threw in a handful of floo-powder and stepped into the flames. He was followed by his friends and Remus until it was just William and Albus left, with Albus standing with his own handful of powder in his hand. The words he said before he left would stay with Spike long after the old man left.

"It seems as though Mister Potter is willing to give you a chance Lord Malfoy. I suggest that you do not take that for granted. That young man has been hurt many times, and some I have to admit was of my own doing... but I will not allow anyone no matter how much power they have harm him again. You did very well in protecting him thus far, and I expect you to continue to do so... also I will have Mistier Weasley give back the pendant that you gave Harry, it is after all his."

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer... although the things I would do to Spike... yummy.. I make no profit from writing this story.

A/N:Thank you so much for sticking with me each and every one of you! Now I don't have much time left to have this uploaded so I am going to make this quick... I love you all!

***The Scourge of Europe were 4 vampires: Darla, Angelus, Drusilla, and**** Spike … but I will be keeping the story saying that it is just Spike honestly because I like the way it sounds. **

With love,

Mari-chan


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty Seven

When Harry got back to Griminald Place he didn't bother speaking to anyone instead he made his way to his room. Once he was inside he allowed himself to collapse on his bed, shoes and all he laid upon the mattress and allowed himself have a moment to think. The first thing he noticed was after sleeping on the bed at Malfoy Manor his bed was no longer as comfortable as he thought previously. Shifting a bit he managed to find the right spot before he let his mind drift off. He had so much to think about now that he was out of the manor, the first thing he knew he had to think about was the vampire that claimed to be his mate.

Sighing he threw a hand up above his head and tried to think about how he felt about the other man. He wasn't anything that Harry was expecting, not that he was expecting much. No, he was everything but what he thought he would be. A part of him thought that the vampire would be just like the vampires he heard about in the muggle world, bloodthirsty. Instead although the vampire drank blood he seemed to get a hold of himself fairly quickly and didn't seem to waver for very long when they first met. He kept thinking about what Remus had suggested for him to do, lead the vampire on until Voldemort was gone and then leave. He could do it, could leave and never look back... and until last night he was willing to as well.

Everything changed in the past twenty four hours and he didn't know how to feel about the changes. Groaning, Harry knew that he needed help but who could he turn to about this of all things? Remus had already given his opinion on the matter and once the werewolf made up his mind there was no moving him especially about his cubs' safety. His only choice was to hope that his friends would be able to help him decide, or at hopefully Hermoine could figure out what he was feeling. No sooner had the thought entered his mind that he heard the hesitant knocking at his door. Calling for who it was on the other side to enter he wasn't surprised to see that on the other side was Ron and Hermoine.

Entering the room, both took a spot on the bed, Ron at the foot of the bed while Hermoine sat down beside him. Not wanting to move now that he found a comfortable position, Harry didn't comment when Hermoine lay down beside him on her side. After a few moments Ron decided that he wasn't going to be left out and laid down on the other side of Harry. There was enough space for them, so they didn't feel crowded but it was Ron that broke the silence.

"This is a comfy bed, mate. Did you want to trade?"

Turning his head to look at Ron Harry sighed. "I use to think so to... tell you what you can have this one after I get my new one."

"Why do you want a new one?"

"The one that I slept on last night was about a thousand times more comfortable than this one. I'm going to have to ask William where he got it."

"What happened last night?"

It was Hermoine that voiced the question, interrupting Ron and Harry's conversation to ask what was on both her and Ron's minds. There had been a change last night, and although neither one of them disliked the Malfoy Lord, they were concerned. Normally he would have lost it if someone tried to tell him what to do before, even if it was what he wanted like William did about the Dursley's. Something happened that made him want to agree with what Lord Malfoy said about his relatives. It had come as a shock that someone else found out. They knew that the boy wasn't fed a his relatives which was why they tried to send him food when they could, and that they didn't like him much but each time they tried to get him out of that house someone stopped them.

"Ron was right, he made me a room... and it was perfect. It wasn't overly Gryffindor and honestly it had some Slytherin colours in it but it was perfect. He even got me a whole new wardrobe, both muggle and wizarding clothing in case I had a preference. But... he didn't want to show me that room for some reason."

Placing her hand on Harry's shoulder Hermoine encouraged him to continue.

"He was expecting me to reject him, to reject everything that he was willing to do for me. And I guess when I went to bed that night I realized how much he was willing to give to help me, to help the light in this war. Most of us don't trust him because of his name... but really that's just stupid I mean Sirius was a Black and we accepted him just fine."

Turing his head so that he was now looking up at the ceiling again as he had been previously looking at Ron he sighed.

"I just... he wasn't what I was expecting at all; I was expecting to hate him. I expected what everyone else was, a Malfoy. He was supposed to be arrogant, and selfish and demanding. But even if he showed signs it wasn't overbearing like when Mal-Draco does it. He was arrogant because he holds power but he wants to use it to help, he was demanding that I be taken from the Dursley's but it was for my own protection. Nobody else had that kind of sway over the headmaster, even you guys couldn't get me out of there but he saw it and is even offering me a home of my own away from them."

"I just... I don't understand how I feel about him, or what I should do. Remus said that I should just act like I have been and then once the war is over leave and never look back. But I don't want to do that anymore, I never really did. I don't feel like that's even an option anymore."

"Why did you want to go see him so badly, Harry?"

Turning to face Hermoine Harry sighed again before answering.

"To see what he was like... to give him a chance I guess."

"And now that you've seen him, that you've spoken with him... do you think that maybe you could eventually have a relationship with the man?"

"I don't know."

Smiling somewhat sadly at her friend, Hermoine tried another way of solving his problem.

"Okay, let's forget about Lord Malfoy for now. I want to ask you another question. What do you look for in a partner?"

Harry's eyes widened slightly at the question but he knew better than to not answer Hermoine.

"I guess I want someone strong, not physically although that would be a plus but someone who can hold their own. I want someone that can protect me, someone who would be willing to do anything to keep their loved ones from harm. I would want someone who cared about me and was willing to get to know me as a person, none of The-Boy-Who-Lived nonsense. I guess it would be nice if they had the same views and values as me... but they would need to _understand_ where I come from. I would need someone who would listen to me, who would take into consideration my opinion."

Nodding her head, Hermoine wondered how her next question would be taken.

"And if the person that met your requirements happened to be a male would that bother you?"

"I umm... well... I mean... I guess not, not if they fit all the other stuff."

"And now think about Lord Malfoy, he is obviously strong, both in body and in spirit if he was willing to take on a werewolf and the Headmaster. He already started protecting you, getting you out of your horrible relatives' house so that you wouldn't have to go back there. Now you spoke about the room that he prepared for you... tell me Harry inside that room did you feel like he knew you, or was willing to find out about you? Was he willing to know Harry not any boy who lived nonsense to use your words?"

Nodding his head, Harry smiled slightly. "Yeah I mean he would have had to put in a lot of work to know what I would like. It was all spot on, but he left room for me to put in my things 'cause I guess he knew that he didn't know everything."

"That's wonderful Harry... now from what you've been able to see so far do you think you value the same things? We all know that he is working on the light side; the side that he knows would never accept what he is. But what do you think about that Harry? Do you think he will value the same things you do after the war?"

Harry had to think for a while on this one. Did William value the same things he did? He knew that the vampire when he spoke gave away that he still wished for the best for his family. He mentioned a connection between him and his sire, one that he wasn't willing to break. Harry had read somewhere that it was normal for a vampire to kill their sire to move up along the chain of command but William didn't want to do that, instead he wanted to protect his insane sire. He also was willing to work with other creatures; he had diversity which was something that Harry himself valued.

"Yeah, I think we could... at least about family and he doesn't seem to hold the same kind of prejudiced that most of the Wizarding world seems to have... but that's all I know about him right now."

"Okay that's fair enough... but what about him being able to understand you, Harry? Do you think that he would be able to understand where you come from, why you are the way you are?"

Harry shook his head right away before Hermoine could finish her question.

"No, not yet... but I haven't given him the chance yet. I think that... he might figure it out for himself if I spend more time around him but right now he wouldn't have enough to understand fully... but he would try if given the chance. If given the time he would know me, understand why I do everything in the way that I do."

"And before you ask, he had already displayed that he is willing to listen to me, to care about how I feel about things. I get what you're doing Hermoine, and thank you. I suppose that if given the chance that he would be what I am looking for in a partner... I guess time will tell, right?"

Smiling Hermoine moved and hugged Harry while Ron patted him on the back. Harry couldn't help but smile, it seemed as though his friends weren't against him wanting to try at least. Just like he thought she would, Hermoine figured out what it was that he needed to do without telling him. He needed to start dating Lord William Malfoy, and the first step of that would be to get in contact with the vampire. But that could wait until tomorrow, tonight he was going to catch up with his friends and remind himself why he loved them so much.

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer... oh the things I would do to Spike... I make no profit from writing this story.

A/N:Hey guys! Yet another chapter of this story, only this time written only from Harry's POV which I really did enjoy writing. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as I enjoyed writing it and I can't wait until the next one!

With love,

Mari-chan


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty Eight

William didn't do much after the others left; he was too hung up on what had happened that day and the night before. For the first time in a long time, since he came to Buffy with his soul freshly shoved into his body he felt hope. There was something about the way that Harry acted, the way that he looked at him after he made sure that he would be protected that gave him hope, he could only pray that this time his hope wasn't misplaced. He only had until the end of the week to prepare for his new job, one that he honestly couldn't care if he did it properly, however he did want his mate to learn at the very least. There was so much in defense that he could teach them, enough that he didn't have to prepare much just to pick out the important parts.

Finding himself inside his mates room he knew that he would be sleeping there tonight, taking in his mates scent as long as he could. Looking around he realized that perhaps his mate would like some of his clothes even if he didn't request them. He knew that his former home would not give him anything of his own, so perhaps the young man wouldn't know how to ask for his things. Walking into the closet he pondered on what his mate might like to wear while at school. Grabbing a duffel bag from the back of the closet he started to pack it with clothing, things that he thought Harry might like to wear including a few wizard robes and some muggle clothing for the weekends.

Once he was finished he found that more than half of the clothes were still in the closet, sighing William wondered if maybe he went a bit overboard with buying the wardrobe. Taking the bag to the doorway he left it there so that he would remember to bring it to Harry as soon as he could. Lying down on the bed he laid on the opposite side as Harry did, breathing in deeply he could imagine that the boy was beside him sleeping. He stayed like that for a while before he decided that enough was enough and got up from his spot and made his way into his study in his room bringing the bag with him.

Writing out a letter to The Ministry he gave a list of votes that he disagreed with that he would like to have re-opened as his vote was used to cast the deciding factor. He didn't dare send it off to the minister instead he made sure that it was address to the head of the department of law for The Ministry. He along with it wrote a quick explanation on why exactly he was not addressing this to the minister being that it was a high-profile case. He also wrote out a letter to _'The Prophet_ to have one of their reporters come to his manor for an interview before the week was up. So far they hadn't been posting his letters like he asked them to and he had the suspicion that the minister tried to hush him up.

Along with that letter he decided to write one out for his dear great-something nephew. Knowing what the result would be from his trip later on today he decided to lay it out for the former Malfoy.

_'Dear Mister Malfoy,_

_I am writing you as a curtsey to inform you of how things will be changing. You see I have been informed that you have tried many times to access my vaults inside of Gringotts and neither I nor my account manager is very pleased about this fact. I believe that it is time that you realize that it was only my generosity that allowed your family any money in the first place, a generosity that I am no longer inclined to continue. I will not be cutting you off completely, as I doubt that you would have saved enough to eat let alone provide for your family over the years._

_Instead of ten percent as per the original agreement, I will be cutting down to five percent. I will allow you to keep your home; I am not so cruel to kick you out of your house and to leave you and your family on the street. I will however have to request that you re-name it; after all we both know that I am currently residing in Malfoy Manor and you should never have named it such in the first place. Now about your son, I will be watching him closely this year so I suggest that you tell him to man up a bit._

_From what I have seen of you however I doubt that you will heed my warning but I cannot punish the son for the misdeeds of the father. I will discuss this at a later time with him; after all it is about his future. Your power is meaningless right now, and soon all votes that you have cast will be investigated and retracted should I not agree with them, perhaps you should warn your master of this. I am sure that he will not be very forgiving._

_Please remember that a Malfoy will protect their own, so long as they ask for it._

_Your great-something uncle,_

_Lord William Malfoy_

Re-reading the letter he decided that it was good enough and placed it aside, he planned on sending it after he visited the bank. Standing he went to his dresser and there, as expected was the potion that would grow out his hair. Sighing he ran his hand though his short hair one more time before he took the hair-growth potion and winced at the tingling feeling as it lengthened. He drank enough so that it would go down to his mid-back after the dyed hair was cut off. Once it stopped growing he called for an elf, and wasn't surprised when without asked what he wanted Blitsy motioned for him to sit down on the bed.

Sitting down William waited as Blitsy took a pair of what seemed to be ordinary scissors to his hair and started to cut. He didn't bother to panic or try to stop her, being his head elf she would know how to do things some humans couldn't. Instead he asked about the houses which seemed to be coming along nicely. When she was done Blitsy smiled and told him 'Master William looks like good wizard now instead of muggle delinquent.' before leaving.

William was still laughing as he got changed into some more formal robes, with the Malfoy crest on the back of his cloak. Grabbing his letter to Mister Malfoy he placed it inside of his cloak before he walked out of the room and started to make his way to the floo, and throwing a handful of powder followed be shouting out Diagon Alley he found himself inside of the Leaky Cauldron. Only a couple heads turned as he stepped out of the fireplace, and waving his hand down his robes they cleared of any ash or soot that he got going through the floo. Looking around he had to smile, this pub had been around for centuries, although it had changed slightly it wasn't by a lot by any means. Nodding to the bartender that was looking at him, William made his way to the back of the pub to where the entrance to Diagon Alley was.

Taking out his wand he tapped the bricks in the correct order and watched as they moved aside to reveal the magical shopping centre. Not bothering to look at any of the shops just yet, William made his way directly to Gringotts. Stepping inside the massive bank he made his way to the first teller he saw available, and smiled at the goblin working there. The goblin didn't seem to appreciate the smile as he sneered at him, and asked what he wanted in a snarly tone.

"I am here to speak with my accounts manager, Griphook."

At the mention of the other goblin, the one in front of him took a closer look of William. Spike had to hold back a smirk when he saw the goblin recognize who he was and who he had just insulted. Without any more delays he was quickly shown inside behind the tellers so that he could go to Griphook's office. Being lead inside, William noticed that Griphook wasn't there and decided to take a seat on the chair provided. Getting comfortable he smiled to Griphook when he entered the room, although the goblin seemed to be frustrated over something.

"Lord Malfoy, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Not sure if he liked that Griphook was down to business already, Spike shrugged it off before he addressed his main concern.

"I have been thinking about my something-great nephew Mister Malfoy and have decided that it is time that he realize or at least is shown that he isn't all that he thinks he is. I have tried to get in contact with him as well as the Minister and so far both are still in denial about my return. I know that you can't do anything about changing the Ministers mind however Mister Malfoy is another story. I'm not sure how familiar you are with the original contract put in place by myself and my brother with my mother bearing witness."

Seeing that Griphook nodded his head, letting him know that he had read the original document William continued.

"It was stated in the contract that ten percent of my fortune and ten percent of any profits were to be sent into a separate account for my half-brother and his family. He was also allowed to keep the name Malfoy but never was he to be able to claim the title of Lord Malfoy. There was a clause that my mother had me place inside of the contract that should I deem it necessary for any reason, that I and I alone had the authority to change any percentage that would be deposited into said account. This clause in the contract was set up in case my half-brother did something foolish he could be cut off or if he or his children became a member of our family, it could be increased."

"I would like to use this authority now."

William watched as the expression changed while he was explaining what he wanted to have done, and by the end he saw a grin cross the goblins face.

"Lord Malfoy, I have to say that you just made my week. I was just in a meeting with my supervisor who was asking questions on why such a rich man as Mister Malfoy was being denied access to our files. It seems as though Mister Malfoy has been trying to gain access to the Malfoy inventory, claiming it was his right. I have denied this request of course, and instead provided him with his own personal inventory however this will help a great deal. Tell me how much would you like to have decreased or would you like him cut off completely?"

Although not shocked that Lucius would try to gain information on him, he was surprised that he was stupid enough to try to illegally obtain that information.

"Although I would like nothing more than to cut them off completely, I can't do that to his family. Just because he is trying to gain my money and items doesn't mean I can in good conscious punish his wife and son. Instead I would like to decrease the profit going to his account from ten to five percent. This should give them a warning, if this continues please get in contact with me and we can see what else can be done or how much money-loss it is going to take to get into his head."

Although Griphook seemed somewhat disappointed, to which William could only assume was due to his lack of wanting to cut off Lucius he nodded his head. Pulling some parchment from a drawer, William watched as the goblin in perfect penmanship wrote out the changes to the contract. As this was a change based off of a clause in the original contract there didn't need to be anyone else there, once Griphook was done, William took the parchment and read the changes. Seeing that there was nothing besides the fact that the percentage would be changing from ten to five percent of current profit from the Malfoy fortune he took the blood quill provided and signed the parchment.

As soon as his signature was written the parchment glowed before it vanished, as this was common in the magical world William didn't so much as blink. Giving Griphook back the blood-quill he watched as his skin stitched itself back together. The two of them sat in silence for a moment or two before William got up from his chair and went to leave, stopping just before he did so he decided to say something to the goblin who seemed to be fighting for him.

"You know, I really do appreciate you working so hard to fight for me. With the war going on I can only imagine that it will get worse before it gets better. Therefore I hope this helps. I Lord William Malfoy, do hereby increase the salary of my personal account manager one goblin Griphook descendant of Gramhook by one percent of the annual profit obtained under the Malfoy name, so mote it be."

There was a soft glow around the two of them, but William didn't stick around to see the reaction instead he left, closing the door behind him. As he walked out he saw the same goblin teller and nodded his head slightly before leaving the building. Once he was outside William made quick work of renting an owl and having it sent off with Lucius's letter. After sending off the owl he didn't have much to do and so he decided to look around the alley for a bit. By the end of his shopping he had a few new cloaks, a couple books and an owl-order for every shop in the alley in case he needed something while teaching.

As soon as he arrived home he left his new things so that a house-elf would put them away for him and made his way to Harry's room. Stripping naked in the middle of the room he crawled into the bed and breathed in the scent that surrounded him. He didn't care that he probably had a million and a half more things to do that day he wanted, no needed the scent of his mate. Closing his eyes he tried to picture Harry beside him on the bed, he could picture how he would sleep. He could picture every bit of his mate, from the way his hair would spread to the small bit of drool that might be at the corner of his mouth. While he was thinking of his mate he let himself drift off to sleep, his whole body relaxing and his sleep deep and peaceful.

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer... icky… I make no profit from writing this story.

A/N:Hello everyone! Thank you so much for putting up with me editing this story and this was the last "original" chapter so everything from here on out will be new… yay!

With love,

Mari-chan


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

There is an important Authors Note at the end of this please read it!

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

The next few days for William was hectic to say the least; he had managed to find out why exactly the press wasn't releasing the statements that he had been sending them. Apparently they were under the impression that if they leaked anything that Lucius didn't approve of that he would pull his funding from the paper. After clearing that up with the chief executor he was told that he would have an article made up as a special edition to the paper for September second. William was sure that he could have made them release article before then, but he wanted to see how the youngest Malfoy reacted and he would most likely be in the great hall while the boy opened his paper.

Albus had requested that they hold off any more meetings until the start of term as they would both be busy preparing for the school year. William readily agreed and spent a whole day going through a number of books in his library for reference in order to make his plans for the class. When he was finished and had marked each book for their reference material he allowed himself a moment of triumph before he looked over to the never-ending paperwork that he had to fill out for Gringotts and letters sent back and forth between him and the ministry.

Work was all William did during the week before Hogwarts was to officially become open to students. He worked, he planned, he wrote and he drank only when reminded to by his house-elf. By the end of the week, William was tired, his body and mind were both exhausted from all the work he had done, but he was finally caught up on everything that he had to have done before he could go to Hogwarts. Being a professor he had to arrive the night before students were to board the Hogwarts Express in order to be given his rooms and to familiarise himself with the castle. The night before he was to arrive, William had made sure to make arrangements to have most of the blood transferred from his home to his rooms as Blitsy would be coming with him for his stay.

Collapsing on his bed, William for the first time in what seemed like months allowed himself a moment to relax, everything was done. Closing his eyes he sighed in relief. Originally he had been terrified about how he would react around all the children surrounding his mate, but now that he met the young man he knew he could control himself. He was also, although he would never admit it, worried that he would be a lousy professor or that he wouldn't be any good around that many kids. Now however, now he could allow himself a few moments to relax before he had to deal with everything and go back to school the following night. While drifting off to sleep he thought on the fact that his mate had not contacted him in the past week, perhaps like himself he was too exhausted to do anything with the upcoming term.

'_There isn't anything for it, besides I will soon be able to ask him myself.'_

On the afternoon that William was to go to Hogwarts he packed all that he thought he would need in the school. Blitsy had packed his clothing and most of his things the night before however William knew that as good as the house-elf was she couldn't anticipate everything. He threw in a few more cloaks as it was chilly in the castle along with a few more bags of blood that he had bought the night before, once everything was in its place including the bag of clothing he packed for his mate he ran a hand through his hair and looked at the bags he would be taking with him. Luckily although students weren't permitted to have their own house-elf at the school the professors weren't expected to follow the same rule.

"Blitsy will be bringing Master's things to Hogwarts. Master William will be getting ready now while Blitsy take things to school."

Deciding to do what the elf requested William had a shower before putting on the robes that she had placed on the bed for him to wear. It was formal, not enough to be considered ball robes but more than what he assumed the average professor would wear. The black robes as always had the Malfoy crest, this time etched onto the left breast. The stitching was done in silver, as most of his clothing had the color of his family on them somehow. Along the seams it broke into small designs of drops, he knew that this was to represent what he was now a drinker of blood.

With his hair once again long he charmed it to dry before pulling it back with a leather band so that it stayed off his face. Blitsy being the dedicated elf that she was had taken all of his things including the clothes he had packed for his mate, all that was left was for him to take a hold of the portkey that had arrived the day before. Blitsy had moved the perches that he had bought for Princess and Allah to Hogwarts the day before in preparation. Although he had no idea where his chambers would be elves had a way of just simply knowing things even when their master didn't.

Moving to his desk he grabbed the statue of a phoenix that the headmaster had given him. Looking once again around his room, trying to think if he forgot anything he glanced at the crate which sat innocently at the foot of his bed. Most of the blood had been transferred to the school already; there were a few bags that he kept in the crate so that Blitsy would have a supply availble should he need it. Resisting biting into someone's neck willingly or because it caused one pain were two different things.

Although he had never slipped up while with The Order, and it was true that Drusilla was the one that liked children's blood there was always a chance that he would mess up. With elf magic it would only take Blitsy but a moment to get him a bag of blood from his home and bring it to him if needed. Deciding to leave the rest of the blood where it was William quietly spoke the keyword to activate the portkey.

"Wolf-boy"

Instantly he felt like a hook around his navel, but unlike when he was human the landing this time was easy. Perhaps it was his natural predator instinct but he was able to land not only on his feet but without a wobble. Looking around he couldn't help the fond smile that came on his face at the beauty that was in front of him, the portkey wasn't able to bring him inside the castle but it was able to bring him just outside the wards. There in front of him was the place he called home for the vast majority of seven years of his life. Like most children who go to Hogwarts he felt a deep love for the school, it was where he met his friends and was free to be himself. In Hogwarts at least back when he was a student he could lose himself as a child instead of heir of the Malfoy family.

He had been a Slytherin, as had the rest of his family not because they were forced to do so, his parents wouldn't have cared if he made Gryffindor but because that was where they were most able to be children. The old sorting hat placed most of the pureblood families in the same house because they all would understand the pressure they were under outside school. They were able to support each other, even if to the rest of the world it seemed like they were aloof even with other housemates. Slytherins protected their own, and it was something William wished the other houses would adopt.

Step by step he made his way to the castle, the magic around the castle seemed to wrap around him for only a moment before letting him go as he walked through the wards. For a moment William thought that he would be denied access to the school but the wards didn't harm him, even though he was a dark creature. Taking confidence in the fact that the school seemed to approve of him he walked to the main gates where he was greeted by the headmaster. This time as he looked at Albus he was able to ignore the man as head of the order of the phoenix and instead see him only as his employer.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, I trust that your elf has brought your things for you?"

Nodding his head, William wondered how he was supposed to act around the old man. Previously he had shown more respect than the man had earned but now that he didn't need to have his permission to see his mate as he would be his professor William wondered how much he had to give. Deciding to see what he could get away with without retaliation at a later time he followed as Albus showed him to his rooms. It was in the dungeons, close to Slytherin territory but far enough away that he needn't worry about running into too many students. Albus explained that he thought that he would appreciate the solitude that the other floors wouldn't be able to provide, which was true enough along with the fact that this reminded him more of the crypts he was use to as opposed to the mansion he was living in now.

To guard his rooms was of course a portrait; it was of a woman whose long black hair was flowing down her back. It was night in the portrait and she was dangling her feet into what looked to be a lake from where she was sitting on the dock. Looking a bit closer he noticed that even with the full moon and clear sky he couldn't see her reflection in the water. A vampire then. Speaking the password that he would change once the headmaster left him to his own devices the portrait opened the door for him. Inside was to be his new home until at least the holidays. It wasn't much but it was leaps and bounds from what some of his crypts had been.

There was a living area as well as a small kitchen taking a few steps inside the rooms he could see an open doorway that lead to the bathroom along with a shut door that he would assume was to be the bedroom. It was furnished in leather, the couch and chair being set in front of the fireplace whose mantle was bare so that he could place what he wanted there. What he noticed after a moment was the fact that there were no portraits inside of his rooms which made him relax. A part of him expected Albus to try and spy on his using portraits but he was trusted enough at least in his own rooms. Looking back at the headmaster, William spoke although not softly it was at least in a friendly tone.

"Thank you Albus, these rooms are more than adequate and I look forward to teaching here this year."

Smiling at his new professor Albus explained that although he had tonight to get use to his rooms and the castle he was expected at the staff meeting before the feast tomorrow. With that Albus left William alone in his rooms, who convinced the portrait to change the password to "Peaches" before he started unpacking the bags that Blitsy had left in the bedroom. Blitsy had put away some of his things such as his clothes and toiletries but left anything else for him to unpack himself.

It took him only half an hour to unpack seeing as he didn't bring many personal things with him. Once he was done William walked from room to room to make sure it was to his liking before sitting down at the desk he had moved to his bedroom from the living area. Quickly he wrote out a letter to his mate to be given with his bag of clothing.

'_There, now all I have to do is get Blitsy to deliver it once he arrives at the castle. Maybe it won't be so bad teaching these kids, I mean I managed to survive for the most part in a house full of teenage female slayers this should be a piece of cake.'_

**Disclaimer:**** I do not now or have I ever owned Harry Potter or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, nor do I make any money from this story. Man how I wish I did though…**

**Important authors note;**

**Hello everyone, I know it's been a while since you last heard from me but I'm here now to explain why. This month is November, I know shocking, but during this month I am taking on the challenge of NaNoWriMo which means that I have this month and this month only to write out 50,000 words on my original story. That being said most if not all of my time will be dedicated to this task, meaning that this story will be taking a back seat. I will still be working on it when I can and it will be possible to update during this month but only after I have completed my daily word count (1,667 words per day) since this story is not counting towards my 50,000 word goal. **

**I'm sorry if this angers anyone, I'm sorry if this means that you will be leaving this story. It cannot be helped, this is something I've done every year since 2007 (although I have not met the 50,000 word goal every year I at least tried) and I can't stop now (especially since this year I am writing a story I wish to someday have published). **

**On another note I would like to mention that I have a poll open on my profile page for this story for when I can get back to writing it. **

**Thank you for both your support and understanding.**

**With lots of love,**

**Mari-chan**

**p.s. I would also like to mention that my username on NaNoWriMo is inuyasha_1234… for now anyways. **


	30. Chapter Thirty

_~~ There is an important note at the end of this chapter ~~_

**Chapter Thirty**

The day the children were supposed to come to Hogwarts was one of the more stressful days that Spike could remember since he came back to the Wizarding world. Although he was given the day to explore the castle he hadn't anticipated the other professors wanting to get to know him on an individual bases. While it was nice that the professors wanted to try and welcome him into the position he could have done without the constant interruptions. Professor McGonagall was one of the better professors that he had met; instead of imposing herself on him she instead offered her help with her skills in transfiguration to change his classroom around if he needed. She also offered to give him a tour of the main parts of the castle in case he forgot them during to absence.

By the time that they were done exploring the castle, it was nearly lunch time and so instead of going back to his rooms he accompanied Professor McGonagall to the Great Hall. Sitting beside the other professor who insisted that he call her Minerva they had a pleasant conversation during the meal about different teaching methods and she gave him plenty of pointers about how to handle the classroom.

"Your main problem is going to be getting the children to respect you. Being the new professor here and us not having a good track record chances are that a few students from each class will challenge you and your authority here as a professor. I would suggest grabbing their attention quickly and giving them a practical lesson first instead of a written test."

Nodding his head, William wondered at the previous people who took the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts. After they ate, William and Minerva went their separate ways; William went down to his classroom and arranged it how he wanted. There wasn't much that had to changed, only adding a few touches and removing a few things that were left behind by the other professors. It seemed all too soon and the children would be arriving, wearing one of his more formal robes since he wanted to make a good impression William made his way to the Great Hall. He took the space that was left open to him between Minerva and who was introduced as Severus Snape.

Seeing that he knew beforehand who he would be working with, William had made it a point to look up the other professor's names and to memorize what they taught and for how long. It was surprising how young Mr. Snape had been when he achieved his duo mastery in potions and defense. Deciding that this would be a safe topic seeing that Minerva was speaking with Albus he brought it up while they waited for a couple of the other professors and the children to arrive.

"I was doing a bit of research since I came back home and I must say that I've been impressed with your work. You were only twenty one I believe when you took the position of potions professor, were you not?"

Unlike the warm welcome that he received by Minerva, Severus sneered at him for a moment before he responded in a cold voice.

"Indeed, and tell me what qualifications do you have to take position that you have? By the end of the year you will be just another name on an abnormally large list of men chosen for the position of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts while I am still Potions Professor."

Somewhat surprised by the hostility, William was taken aback for a moment before he responded in kind.

"Perhaps I will be just another statistic for this school but as for my qualifications I believe myself to be qualified for this position more than any other."

"And what exactly is it that makes you qualified for the position that you now find yourself in?"

Deciding that there would be no harm in letting his secret known as everyone would know in tomorrow's paper, Spike smirked slightly with his right fang pointing out the side of his mouth.

"Why, how to defeat the big baddies? How to spot human from creature? These are all things that I have been doing for over three hundred years sharing that knowledge won't harm anyone I'm sure."

"Vampire."

The word was said with a whisper but Spike could tell by the paling of the others faces including Albus that none of them had known of his condition. Nodding his head to the other man, William tried another way to get to know him. Holding out his hand he saw as Minerva left the room to what he would guess would be too great the first years as the other students started to flood into the Great Hall and take their seats.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced my name is William Malfoy, current Head and Lord of the Malfoy family, I will be your co-worker and Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry . I am a vampire and member of the Angelus clan and Master Vampire in my own right."

Severus looked at his hand for a moment before he placed his own in it, as they were shaking hands William caught the scent of his mate. Taking his hand back he smiled at Severus before he turned his gaze to look around the room to the Gryffindor table where his mate would be sitting. Finding his mate, Spike had to calm himself down when he saw how hatefully Harry was looking at Severus. It was unexpected, and he assumed that Harry wouldn't want him socializing with the man he obviously hated but he wasn't about to be rude to Severus now, not until he had some kind of reason to. Catching Harry's eye, Spike winked at him which caused the younger man to blush slightly before he turned back to his conversation with Severus.

"So are there any kids that I should watch out for? I know that when I attended Hogwarts that there was a slight feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin is that still happening or did they resolve their differences?"

"The mere idea of Gryffindor and Slytherin getting along as friends could place you in the hospital wing's mental ward so I would suggest that you keep those ideas to yourself. As for children you should look out I find that Mr. Potter and his two delinquent friends are at the top of that list. Don't let his fame blind you, that boy has it in for any kind of authority figure and has been the disruption many times in my classroom."

Not wanting to anger the man beside him, but yet not wanting to have him think that he thought the same, Spike merely hummed. Now that the students were in the hall beside the first years his goblet started to fill itself with the sweet blood-wine that Blitsy had taken to making for him. This goblet as it was not his own was not automatically refilling so he was sure not to chug down too much, and he was especially careful to make sure no blood remained on his mouth when he was done. It wasn't long before the first years were brought in to the Great Hall; they looked nervous and had such wide innocent eyes that made him a bit thankful that he was there to see them before he started teaching.

One by one Minerva called the children's names so that they would come up to the front and have the sorting hat place them into their house. William was sure to clap for all the students, although if he clapped bit louder for Slytherin he didn't think that Severus would mind. Once all the children were sorted, William waited while Albus started his beginning of the year speech.

"To the first years welcome to Hogwarts and to the returning years welcome back! But now is not a time for speeches I'm sure you're all hungry so tuck in!"

All at once the four tables were filled with food that hadn't previously been there which caused the first year muggle borns to gasp in surprise. Spike casually noticed that none of the Slytherin first years seemed surprised, however what he had also noticed was that one or two of the first years were sitting close to the upper years who were whispering to them. Smiling, Spike wondered how many of the Slytherins were actually half-bloods or muggle-born and would be told how to act like a pure-blood by their house-mates. While most purebloods were taken into Slytherin there were a few that weren't, normally those from light families who weren't under the same pressure and to make up for that Slytherin would accept some muggle-borns or half-bloods to balance it out.

While the staff around him started to eat along with the children Spike took a few things on to his plate and picked at it for a while. He didn't feel much like eating although he did make it seem like he was eating while he drank his wine and blood mix.

"The students will eventually catch on if you refuse to eat."

Somewhat surprised that Severus was trying to help him keep his secret, William leaned back slightly in his chair.

"I don't expect to keep my being a vampire a secret; in fact I'm surprised that Albus didn't tell the staff already. I'm not ashamed of who or what I am; I plan on telling the whole school just not directly and not tonight."

"Not directly?"

Turning so that he was facing Severus as well as speaking to him, Spike couldn't help the smirk that was on his face.

"No not directly, what's the point in having money and power if you don't use it? I suspect that tomorrow _'The Daily Prophet'_ will have a few new subscribers."

Severus didn't respond to his last comment instead he nodded his head before returning to his meal. It seemed to take forever for them to move from the main meal to desert, and even longer for the students and staff to finish eating all together. It was a shame that this meal was mandatory so that he couldn't have skipped it. Once everyone was finished, Albus once again stood up to speak, and Spike wondering what the headmaster would say gave the man his attention.

"Before you all head to your dorm rooms, I have a few starts of the year notices to give. First of a message from Mr. Flitch that all products from Weasley Wizarding Wheezes is strictly prohibited and there is to be no magic in the halls. Also, first years should note, and older students as well that the Forbidden Forest, is as the name says forbidden it has after all earned its name. I would also like to welcome as a new addition to the staff your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Lord Malfoy who has been kind enough to take the vacant position for the year."

Deciding to try and show his support he waved slightly to the students, some of which were looking at him confused.

"They were expecting Lucius Malfoy."

Chuckling slightly, William wondered how long it would take for them to forget about Lucius and for him to replace the blond. Turning to Severus he responded.

"I imagine they were, however as they can clearly see I am no Lucius Malfoy. They will learn how to separate us in their minds soon enough I'm sure."

"It also seems as though you have gained the attention of Mr. Potter already. He hasn't stopped looking at you since he entered the Great Hall."

Looking over to the Gryffindor table, Spike noticed that Harry was indeed looking at him, although he tried to hide it and looked away once they caught gazes. Not knowing why Harry would be watching him so closely caused a moment of warmth to flow through him to know that his mate was watching him.

"I'm sure that given the track record of professors for Defense Against the Dark Arts that he is just suspicious on what I will turn out to be."

The two of them didn't say anything else instead they waited for Albus to order the students to bed. Seeing that it was the end of the feast, William along with the rest of the professors got up from their places and made their way to their separate rooms although Spike walked with Severus seeing that they were both in the dungeons. Severus reminded him of the staff meeting that would be held at the end of dinner tomorrow before Spike entered his chambers and could relax. While he was thankful of the help from the other professors he hadn't the opportunity all day to have a moment to himself.

Seeing that the bag he had prepared was no longer where he left it he smiled, knowing that Blitsy who was the only elf allowed into his rooms and would have given it to Harry. Hanging up his robes, Spike wondered about the youngest Malfoy. While speaking to Severus he had managed to catch a glimpse of the boy, but nothing more than that. He did notice that the young man was seated around those of noble birth although they seemed somewhat distant from him, probably a new change from his previous position of power.

'_I shouldn't worry about the boy, I will get my chance to speak with him soon enough. I just hope I can salvage the only remaining tie to my family that I have left.'_

Not bothering to dwell on the thought any longer, Spike stripped off his remaining clothes and slid into bed. Unlike the other professors since he wouldn't let any elf besides Blitsy into his rooms the fire would most likely die out before he woke but he didn't mind as his elf would light the fire again before he woke up he was sure. Being dead had its perks after all.

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Harry Potter or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, nor do I make any money from writing this. **

**A/N:**** Hello everyone! Oh how I have missed you! I know that it's been a long time, trust me I know but I am proud to say that I have managed to write my 50.000 words for NaNoWriMo this year so yay! Totally worth it. There are a few announcements that I wish to make being that this is my first chapter since the end of NaNoWriMo. **

**Firstly I would like to thank you all for your continued support you don't know how wonderful and helpful and needed it was to have all of your support me every chapter and especially support my choice not to update this for a month for another goal. I received several emails and reviews showing your support of my writing an original novel and that means everything thank you so much!**

**Secondly I would like to mention that the poll that I had up about Draco is now closed and the winner is *drum roll please* **"**He should reach out to Spike asking for another choice"**!** thank you again to everyone who voted, and for those of you that wanted something different I'm sure that I will ask for help on something else although I don't know what at the moment :P **

**Third and lastly I would like to mention that I still have around I would say 25-40,000 words left of my novel before it's done. Now don't panic, I have set what I believe to be a very reasonable goal of Christmas to have this done by and I haven't stopped writing even after NaNoWriMo and I managed to get this chapter done didn't I? All this means is that I plan on having updates once a week, no set day of the week but once per week. I will be writing on my original novel the rest of the time so as to get the rough draft finished for Christmas. **

**Thank you once again for your continued support and know that I love each and every one of you that take the time to read this although a special place in my heart is reserved for my reviewers. **

**Thank you and much love,**

**Mari-chan**

**P.S. If anyone is interested I am still looking for a beta for this fic, you wouldn't have to go through all the previous chapters but just the new ones to help me out on time. I would of course give credit to whoever beta's the chapters at the start of each chapter. **


	31. Chapter Thirty-One

**Chapter Thirty-One**

It took Spike a moment to get his mind around the strange bed that he woke up in the next morning. While he had grown accustomed to waking up in strange places before; sometimes with stranger people, that was a lifetime ago and it was a foreign feeling to not remember immediately where he was. As the memory of where he was came back he groaned into his pillow before he got up, not looking forward to a day of teaching. Getting out of bed he made his way naked to the bathroom which was across the hall from the bedroom. The hot water helped make him feel revived although he had to admit even if just to himself that teaching children be them wizard or not was never something that he thought he would do. After he was done washing he just stood there in the shower for a while letting the hot water almost caress him.

After his shower he towel-dried himself off and walked again naked back to his room where a robe was laying out for him. It was a teaching robe, nothing fancy but he was glad to note that it was made with silk undertones which would be smooth against his skin, putting it on he noticed that it was a bit lighter than what he had been expecting. Not wanting to miss breakfast he looked up at the old grandfather clock that came with the room, he still had a few minutes before the children would start to arrive. Unlike the rest of the year for the first breakfast everyone was required to come, and all had to be there before eight o'clock to receive their time tables. Some would be there when the doors opened at seven but most would be there about half past which was when the morning post was due to arrive.

Making his way up the stairs to the Great Hall he used one of the side entrances to make sure that he came out in the teachers section. Spike wasn't surprised to see both Minerva and Severus there when he arrived nor was he surprised to see Albus there speaking with the two of them. While he couldn't catch what was being said he could only guess that it was about him as the three of them stopped once he approached the table. Spike didn't say anything about it, instead he looked for his coffee, while the shower had woken him enough to get him to the Great Hall he wasn't about to teach anyone without a cup of coffee, a bi-product of living in the states for so long.

Looking at the table he noticed that there was only tea and orange juice to drink, probably to keep them at least somewhat healthy he assumed. Shrugging he was impressed when he heard the soft 'pop' behind him and cracked a smile when he saw that it made Severus jump in his chair. Turning he thanked Blitsy as she brought him a pot of coffee and placed it on the table beside the pot of tea that was sitting there. Seeing that she didn't leave as soon as she placed the coffee on the table, William gave her his undivided attention, even turning to look at her properly.

"Blitsy be wondering if Master William be hungry? Blitsy does not know if magic from castle help or hurt Master William."

Shaking his head, Spike was sure to speak to the small creature as he normally would, knowing full well that most Masters would not allow their house elf to speak around other people unless it was to announce someone arriving, they were to be invisible and silent when witches and wizards were around. This was the main reason why the house elves at Hogwarts worked using the castles' magic to remain silent when they gathered clothing from the dorms and why they worked mainly in the kitchen out of sight and out of mind.

"No, I don't find myself hungry this morning. I would appreciate it if you asked the kitchen elves to allow for coffee to be placed with the morning table from my supply of course. I will expect my meal at my usual time with dinner unless otherwise specified the magic of the castle is not fighting me therefore there will be no additional meal needed."

Nodding her head Blitsy gave a small bow before she left the table, most likely to make sure that his personal chambers looked more inviting before she would start work on the mansion. After she disappeared, Spike grabbed the pot of coffee and started to pour it into his cup, making due with the tea cup and adding a hint of milk before taking a drink of it. He couldn't hold back his sigh of pleasure as the coffee slightly burnt down his throat and he could already feel himself starting to wake up. Looking around the Great Hall he noticed that slowly the hall was filling up with students who were waiting for their Heads of House to come around and give them their schedules.

Spike himself had his own class marker to keep which was in his classroom on top of his desk. Keeping a close eye on the Gryffindor table he discreetly watched as his mate spoke and ate with his friends who were making the most of the breakfast before them; although he did notice that Harry didn't seem to grip his plate like he did before, perhaps after six previous years he knew that this food would not be taken from him. Harry must have felt the eyes watching him as he glanced up and like the night before for a moment their two sets of eyes locked, only this time Spike had no intention of breaking the gaze until he saw a slash of familiar blond out of the corner of his eye.

Taking another drink of his coffee he turned from Harry in order to take a good look at his something-great nephew. It seemed as though the new Malfoy line, as he didn't think much of it being his own after them trying to steal from him had learnt at least what it was to be a pureblood. It was next to impossible to tell what the boy was thinking from his facial expressions and even when he was interacting with his classmates, some of them having to be his friends he didn't know what the boy truly felt. It was a well-known fact that the pureblood society had to be secretive in what they thought and felt. It was a security measure, as if someone knew how you really felt about something then they could use that against you at a later date and the more money you had the more you had to keep to yourself.

It was only in the security and privacy of their own home that his own father had been different to him, where he was allowed to really feel. While his classmates for his birthday and holidays would buy him things like he would them that they let slip that they might like it was only his family that knew that all he wanted was a journal to write his poems down and maybe a glass of fire whiskey with his old man. William wondered how long, how many generations it took before his brothers' line managed to figure out how to play the political game, something that was tricky at best. Looking at the boy who was the product of his generosity he wondered if there was hope for the boy or if he would have to fall like his father.

"The sins of the father should not be reflected on the child."

Turning to Albus who was staring at him, Spike noticed that the words although directed at himself caused Severus to tense.

"I know, Albus. I have no intention on judging the boy by his fathers' actions however; I will be watching his actions all the same."

"And what pray tell are you watching for?"

Turning to face Severus now, Spike wondered what connection the man had to his nephew.

"I'm watching to see if he is like his father in the respect that he assumes that his place will be handed to him. Lucius has made several mistakes when it comes to me, and how he has used the family fortune thus far has not met my approval. Unless he corrects his mistake it will be hard on both himself and his family to have reality crashing down. I am watching to see if young Draco will make the same mistakes or if he will realize what his father refuses to even after having it pointed out to him several times."

"And what exactly is it that you have pointed out to Mister Malfoy?"

Opening his mouth to speak Spike heard the call of Princess who seemed to lead the owls into the hall to pass out the morning paper. Relieving her of the copy she was also carrying, Spike started to break up pieces of bacon to feed to Princess while she perched on his shoulder.

Reaching down to his own copy of the paper he noticed that both his mate and his nephew had a copy in front of them along with every member of staff that was in attendance. Reaching up when Princess started to nuzzle the side of his face he stroked her head while he read the front page of the morning edition.

'_**Lucius Malfoy fraud!**_

_Dear readers, it is with great sorrow and disappointment that I am tasked with informing you that our own member of the ministry and advisor to the Minister, Lucius Malfoy is in fact a fraud. This time it is not accusations on which side of the war he is loyal to (for more information about his history of being accused of being a follower of You-Know-Who please turn to page 3) this time it is about his own heritage! Lucius Malfoy who has been known to use his position of power to aid those who are of a pure bloodline, and who has on more than one occasion named himself Lord of the Malfoy family is in fact from a bastard line. _

_It has come to our attention at 'The Daily Prophet' from the true Lord of the Malfoy family that Lucius is in fact a descendant from his father's mistress. After a complete investigation including questioning the goblin in charge of the Malfoy estate it has been proven that Lucius is a Malfoy in name only, and has been trying to steal more than just the title of Lord. I have enclosed a letter that was given to us by the true Lord Malfoy so that this may be explained farther. _

'_Dear Editor of the Daily Prophet,_

_My name is William Malfoy, Head and Lord of the Malfoy family and I am writing to bring to your and the public's attention that a great injustice has been done. To start off this story I feel that it is important to disclose a close fact about myself; when I was a young man attending Hogwarts my father the then Lord Malfoy passed away leaving my mother and I to handle the family, which included his mistress and younger son. Being the kind hearted woman that she was, my mother kept the allowance for both his mistress and her son until such a time as I was old enough to decide for myself if it should be kept. _

_After finishing my education I was thrust into a world of politics and stocks I didn't quite understand however after a few years I could safely say that I understood business. By then my fathers' other son, my half-brother was old enough to find work. Looking back at it now, perhaps I should have given them one of the houses outside of England where they could have started life anew but I was optimistic and naive back then. Being the bastard son of a dead man left him with no one wishing to hire him and the only income that they could count on was the alliance that was set up before my fathers' death. _

_In order to help the two of them I gave over ten percent of the family fortune along with ten percent of profits going to their account as well. I also in my generosity allowed my half-brother to call himself a Malfoy in name and name only but it was enough to allow him. Shortly after this was put into place I met a woman that I was willing to take as my wife, she on the other hand had a completely different plan. Our courtship was short, but long enough for her to sink her fangs into me… literally. Her name is Drusilla and she is my sire, and yes I am a vampire. _

_I have been away from home for three hundred years but it seems like even those of the night can feel the call of home. Imagine my surprise when I come to learn that not only has my half-brothers line tried to gain full control of the Malfoy estate but that they have had the audacity to claim to be Lord of the House of Malfoy. I have wrote several letters to both Lucius Malfoy and the Minister of Magic to have this fixed, to have my name brought back into the light but it seems that both are blind to my existence as I have been told by both of them that I do not exist. Enclosed I have sent copies of my letters along with their replies, I am writing this today to inform the Wizarding World of my return and to ask a favor. _

_After much research it has come to my attention that in the past few generations that the name Malfoy has been used to inspire fear and resentment. I have gained records of all votes cast in my name, and I have found that I do not agree with a great number of them. Those votes will be retracted, as is my right. I have noticed that the money taken from the profits that was given to the bastard line of my father has been used as bribes and to better the life of his own family while making cuts on others. I have cut the percentage in half of what that line will receive from now on, as is my right. I have seen that those under the employ of my half-brothers line have been abused and taken advantage of, they have sworn their loyalty to the house of Malfoy and as such I have made it up to them which line they will follow, as is my right. _

_What I ask of you, what I wish from the Wizarding World, from the home that once knew me as a young boy who made bad decisions in love is that you do not judge me for the actions of my half-brothers line. I will be the first to admit that being a vampire, I have spent many years doing what was wrong, but I am trying now to make things right starting here at the only home I have ever known. I understand if you fear me because of __what__ I am, but please I ask of you to realize that the actions done in the past three hundred years in the name of Malfoy is not __who__I am__. I wish only for you to judge me by the actions that I make, by the words that I say and by the choices that I decide._

_Thank you for reading this, and thank you for allowing me to say my side of things as it is I believe that it has been a long time coming. I am only sorry that I did not come back to rectify this earlier, perhaps then I would have been able to help more. _

_Yours,_

_Lord William Malfoy_

_Head and Lord of the house of Malfoy'_

The article then went on to explain dates and times that he had tried to contact the ministry and like he wished painted the Minister and Lucius Malfoy in a harsh light. It was perfect, sympathetic and apologising that judgement had been placed on him so unfairly. There were a few people, probably people hired, who wrote about how they were thankful for him coming back and how they were willing to only judge him as he asked by his own actions. Having finished reading his paper, Spike placed it down beside him on the table before he continued to feed Princess since he was forced to stop in order to read the article.

"You weren't kidding, this is impressive."

Turning his head to face Severus, Spike was able to briefly catch a flash of Harry's expression of shock while he read his own paper.

"Everything in there is true. Unlike others I wish only to speak the truth I find that it is easier to keep track of then lying."

"I see that you didn't try to hide not only what you are but what you have done."

Feeling Princess leave his shoulder, Spike answered the unspoken question.

"There isn't much that I haven't done to be honest, but it will be hard for anyone to dig up dirt using the name Malfoy in relation to myself. The most that they will be able to find is that I allowed for my sire to sleep in the chambers suited for my wife before we were wed, that and I write bloody awful poetry."

"I take it then that you changed your name when you were turned?"

"I changed everything when I was turned."

It seemed that Severus didn't have anything to say to that, which caused a break in the conversation. Looking at the students he could see that some of them had by now finished reading the article and were trying to figure out how to act. Some of them seemed scared and understandably so to have a vampire teach them. Some of the children were probably excited if the glances and battering of eyelashes in his direction were anything to go by, and some were angered. Most of the students though didn't seem to know what to think; the younger years look up to the older ones in their houses to see how they should react but the reactions were so diverse that it would be next to impossible for them to come to the same conclusion.

Skipping past those that here looking at him or starring down at their paper which he was sure was passed around from someone they knew he looked to the one face that he wanted to see the reaction to. It was easy for him to spot the boy, his blond hair was a family trait one that he had tried to bring to his own head, probably in some kind of subconscious effort to both distance himself from his mother and remain close to his father. It was his fathers' hair, but it would skip the odd generation which was where his own brown hair came from, his mothers' line. The stormy grey eyes, a trait that he didn't know himself that must have come from a later generation probably the Blacks, were wide as they read the article over and over again. He didn't seem to skip to the bits about his own father, to the pages that some of the older years were now reading, just the front page.

The boy must have sensed him looking as his wide eyes turned up to meet his own, not backing down Spike wondered what he would see in those eyes. Fear. For what he didn't know but it was plain to see that the young man was scared about something, or scared of something. When someone beside the boy spoke the connection was lost but Spike could have sworn that in that moment that he had understood at least in part how much pressure the boy, his nephew was under. Hearing some of the professors start to move, probably to distribute the class schedules, Spike reached into his robe and pulled out a letter that he had made a few nights ago.

"Severus I have a favor to ask of you, when you bring Mr. Malfoy his schedule will you please also give him this? You don't have to say anything it's all explained in there but I feel that perhaps approaching him myself will not be beneficial."

Although the man didn't say anything, Severus did take the letter from his hand and Spike was careful to only pay attention to the other students when Severus passed young Draco his letter. Inside was a request for them to meet, to speak about what was happening and what could possibly happen. Realizing that some of the students and most of the teachers were leaving to go to their classrooms, Spike looked to his mate one last time as he wouldn't see him until later on in the afternoon. Although he didn't know exactly what he was expecting it wasn't the hostel glare that he received, one that shot strait through to his heart.

The female friend seemed to be trying to calm him down on one side while the male friend was trying to get the other two out of the Great Hall. It seemed that something the girl said did calm down his mate enough that he turned away before he and the other two left the hall. Sighing, Spike wondered what he had done to anger his mate when he didn't even have the chance to speak with him in so long. Making his way to his classroom which he knew would contain third year Hufflepuffs and Slytherins he wondered how he would be able to speak with his mate without tipping anyone off. Not for the first time he wondered if the powers that be sent him here as a favor or a curse.

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Harry Potter, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I do not make any money off of this, nor any of my other fanfictions. **

**A/N:**** Hello everyone! It's me! Well it took loner then I thought it would, turns out that the holidays and family life do get in the way of writing but I'm back now and with a new chapter! I hope the chapter being over the 3,000 word mark will keep everyone from trying to harm me for taking so long. **

**Now it's 2:32am right now so this authors note may not make a lot of sense, and if that is the case then I'm sorry but I felt that I had to write this down or else I wouldn't be able to sleep. For those of you who are keeping track I finished a large part of my original novel, I only have a little bit to go before I am able to close out that book. I am so excited to write it but there have been a few bumps in the road. Speaking of bumps in the road though… does anyone know how to make a book copyright? I should be finished before long and I don't want someone stealing my idea. **

**(You can call that last part paranoid if you like but I actually had this happen to me before. Don't get me wrong the song that they stole didn't go anywhere but I had someone I at the time thought was a friend steal a song that I wrote and call it her own… it wasn't.)**

**I also have found a beta for this story! They haven't been able to read through this chapter before I posted it but as soon as we sort out getting eachothers email I have faith that it will all work out. I have a meeting between Draco and Spike planned for the next chapter but we all know how easily my plans change. Anyways this is getting really long and I am really tired, so thank you for reading! **

**With love,**

**Mari-chan**


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two

_**A/N**__** While normally I would post my authors notes at the end of the chapter it believe that this is important enough to warrant this being at the first of this chapter. I would like to state that right now I am not quite certain how this chapter will turn out but I do wish to warn you that I will have more than one point of view and while I do understand how that bothers some people I feel that at this point in the story it is needed. I will indicate when the point of view is changing by breaking the page with a line. Thank you and now on with the chapter. **_

***~ Chapter Thirty-Two*~***

Things had been less than wonderful since he decided to come back to school, not that he had much of a choice. It seemed that the moment that his father lost favor with the dark lord was the moment that he was pushed into hell. Draco could understand where the Dark Lord was coming from, and why Lucius was being punished through his own son, but what he didn't understand was the cause of all this… William Malfoy. Draco had always been under the impression that he was the true Malfoy heir, and had used that name and power to bully his friends on more than one occasion, and now he had nothing. Lucius wasn't even the right hand of the Dark Lord anymore; even that power was taken from him and all for what? From what he could tell William was no Malfoy that he had ever seen and to be honest he didn't seem like much of anything.

The Dark Lord had been displeased to say the least when he learnt of Lord Malfoy returning to power, even more so when he learnt that Lucius had known about his return and had done nothing. William Malfoy was a man that Draco was sure both sides were going to bend backwards to try and recruit and Draco himself would be left in his shadow, perhaps crushed in the frenzy. Before all this, before William came back to claim his title Draco was the one who people in Slytherin house looked up to, one that they were willing to follow even if it was just because of his father. Lucius was in a position of power in the ministry and the right hand of the dark lord leaving Draco with power by association. Now the children looked at him like he was a bug, worth nothing and he didn't blame them.

Lucius was reduced in his ranks in the Dark Lord's army, he was nothing more than a regular soldier and it was killing him. The Dark Lord had also chosen the end of this year to brand Draco instead of marking him before he left for school. It was to show that he would have to prove himself worthy of having the Dark Lord's brand upon him, and he didn't know any more if that was worth it. In the past few weeks he had been humiliated by others even when they were in his own home, which was the only use the Dark Lord found for his father. The other children were of course there as well, the tight group of children that he had grown up with, ones that loved seeing him in the position that he was in now.

This left him with two options and after reading the letter that William had left him he was leaning towards one of them. The first was that he should complete the task that the Dark Lord had given him to prove himself, to recruit his something great uncle to the dark side and away from the light completely. It stood to reason that since the Dark Lord did not set up for the vampire to be teaching at Hogwarts that perhaps he was too late on trying to separate him from the light and Albus Dumbledore. The other option, the one that was given to him not when he came back to the school but through the letter itself from William was to prove himself, not to the Dark Lord but to the Lord Malfoy the one man who he knew would have the ability to pull him out of this mess.

Williams' power was far more than Lucius had ever had. He had more resources and more money, more power and fame. Instead of hiding what he was he was instead letting the world know, letting the world know upfront what he was so that his secret would be something to celebrate instead of something to hate. He was upfront to them, asking for their acceptance in a sly move that only a Slytherin could pull off. If Draco wanted to survive this war then he would need some powerful allies himself, and to do that he would have to ally himself with those around him that were perhaps of a completely different breed… Gryffindors.

William had been looking forward to this class all day, and rightfully so as the other classes had been hell. Seeing that he had skipped lunch as he didn't have to keep up appearances anymore about him eating, Spike had instead spent his time with a shot of his favorite brandy that Blitsy had gotten for him. It was going on the fourth hour of his day and the previous three classes had been hell. While it was something to be said, the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor, he hadn't expected the amount of hate in his last class; a group of second years. They wouldn't even look at each other without a glare, and to make it worse it seemed that the name Malfoy had stretched farther than he anticipated if the looks the Gryffindors had given him was any indication.

Running a hand through his hair, not for the first time that day he questioned why exactly he agreed to teaching of all things. Perhaps he thought that it would be over already; he did have experience being in a place with a bunch of teenagers but this was different some of them were actually children and to be perfectly honest with himself he didn't much care for children. Looking up at the door as it was opened, Spike was careful not to seem startled as his mate along with his two friends walked in. Smiling at the three of them since there was nobody else there he was startled and somewhat hurt to see that whatever had set his mate off hadn't been resolved as of yet. It seemed that Harry didn't approve of something that he had done, but for the life of him Spike didn't know what he could have done to aggravate the young man.

Looking at the clock that he had placed on his desk which marked his school schedule instead of actual time he noticed that he still had a few minutes before students were due to arrive. Standing up from his desk, Spike walked around and stopped just a few feet from his mate, leaning up against one of the desks he made sure to keep watch at the door as well. Albus may know about his relationship towards Harry but he couldn't have the whole school knowing, while it wasn't illegal since he wouldn't be doing any of the marking this year for Harry due to said relationship it would be judged harshly.

"Okay I know that the paper may have been a bit of a surprise, but honestly I don't think there was anything in there to cause such a reaction from you."

For a moment the four of them were silent and Spike thought that maybe Harry wouldn't answer what was wrong. Opening his mouth to try and ask directly he was stopped by the young man in front of him.

"It doesn't have anything to do about the paper… its Snape. You and he seem all buddy-buddy and then I saw you pass him something that was given to Malfoy. How can you say that you want what's best for me and then associate with the two people in the school that want me dead? They both hate me and have spent the past six years making sure that I know that and here you are, the one claiming to be my mate hanging out with them. So excuse me for being upset that you seem to want to hang out with them."

Knowing that he didn't have much time before the other students showed up he tried to think of what to say quickly.

"Severus Snape has mentioned that you seem to cause trouble in his class but that's all, so how was I supposed to know that he has been cruel to you? I can't be expected to know everything that has to do with your life, Harry. Also it's important that I have someone a bit darker to associate myself with, and despite what you believe, talking to Severus from time to time isn't anything against you, it isn't a betrayal. Draco on the other hand I will deal with in time, it may have escaped your notice however he is the same age as you and I'm sure that he has made mistakes, however, I fully intend to speak with him to see where he stands with the war."

"Where he stands? His father is the right hand of Voldemort you don't need to meet with him to know where he stands."

"And I'm sure the light has made an effort of offering him another option up to this point? I'm sure that light children such as you have offered to be his friend perhaps, or to speak to Albus on his behalf?"

Silence met his questions, which was the answer that he thought. Sighing once again, Spike wondered how he was going to repair the damage that this would leave.

"No matter what sins his father has committed I do not plan on damning the son because of them. You forget while you may be my mate, I have to try to connect with Draco as I tried to connect with his father. It may seem horrible to you, but as distant as it is now he is still family, the only family that I have left who is alive. I'm sure that he like any other half decent Slytherin has many layers to his personality and I plan on getting to know him at least a little bit and to offer him another side of things, or at least to offer him to make up for the wrongs that he has committed so far."

Looking down slightly so that his eyes were meeting Harry's, Spike smiled a bit cautiously. Taking another step closer he reached slowly forward so that he could lightly trace a finger down Harry's cheek. Speaking softly he could see that although he was still upset that Harry wasn't furious like he was before and hopefully he would be able to calm down enough to think about what he said.

"If he is unable or unwilling to listen, if he decides to follow in the footsteps of his father, then I will treat them the same; but surely you of all people can understand the desire to know your family. Severus is someone to talk to who has an obvious dark tie which keeps my inner demon happy and Draco is the last of my human family, but you outshine the two of them as my mate. I understand why you would be angry but take some time to try to understand my side as well please. I meant what I said, it is your favor that I wish to gain, and you who I have given myself to and nobody will be able to take that from you."

Hearing the sound of footsteps coming closer to the door, Spike moved away from Harry and back around to his desk. Sitting back down he smiled once again to his mate before the other students started to come in and he waited while they took their seats before he started his lesson. Once again he noticed Draco who was sitting slightly away from the others near him, catching the blonde's eyes he saw the boy nod slightly before looking away. Once everyone was inside the classroom, Spike waved his wand and the door slammed shut causing a couple of students to jump. Pulling out a sheet of parchment he looked around the room before he spoke.

"Welcome everyone to your seventh year of Defense Against the Dark Arts. I am professor Malfoy and I will be your professor for this year. Now as I don't know many of you I will be taking attendance this class, for future classes there will be a charm set in the classroom which will do this for me but for now I think the muggle way is best. So Pansy Parkinson?"

"Present."

As he went down the list which he purposely mixed up to make sure that everyone was paying attention, Spike kept watch of those in the classroom. Just like his last class of Slytherin and Gryffindor the two were separated completely which caused him to frown. Once he was finished of the list, Spike stood up and leaned against his desk while he addressed the class.

"Now that's out of the way I have been told that each year you have had different teachers for this class, some worked and some didn't. because of this your education is faulty at best and since the NEWTS are this year it is important for me to fill in the blanks, that being said I have prepared a quiz to see where everyone stands."

At this the whole room groaned except for Hermoine who seemed excited.

"I have decided however that perhaps it would be best if instead of a quiz which would cause us both a hassle that I could open up the floor for anyone with suggestions for this year. I will of course go over what will be on the exam however there is much for us to learn about this and lots of time to teach."

It wasn't surprising to see Hermoine with her hand the air, what was surprising at least to Spike was that it seemed as though Hermoine was the only one interested in the class. Sighing slightly, William prayed that this wouldn't bite him in the ass.

"Yes Miss Granger?"

"I think it would be important for us to learn some defensive and offensive spells, perhaps something that would aid us in battle. Now that the Ministry has admitted that V-Voldemort is back perhaps it's time that we actually learn how to defend ourselves."

"I have no problem teaching you all how to defend yourselves and others however I will not be turning my classroom into a battle room. You will of course learn both offensive and defensive spells which I will expect you all to achieve however there will be more to this class then just the war outside. Inside these walls you should remain safe and because of this I will expect you to learn more than just how to fight. I would also like some suggestions on creatures that you wish to know about who are dark in nature."

"How about learning to kill a vampire?"

Spike looked to the voice that spoke; it was one of the Slytherin girls, Pansy if he remembered her name correctly. Smiling Spike nodded his head, having expected them to want to defend against his kind, and perhaps himself.

"Yes, I can do that, and since we are speaking of vampires I will bring up a lesson on werewolves as well. I do have a question to cast to the classroom, I wish to take a vote. The way I see it is that you all seem to agree with Miss Granger which causes some conflict towards my own lesson plans if you wish for me to prepare you for war. I will agree to teach you all the lessons that you ask for but in return I request that you all take up some self-study. I cannot teach you all of what is needed for your tests as well additional spell practice, therefore if you all agree to complete an aided self-study for the less interactive lessons than I will agree to teach you as many practical lessons as I can."

"I would like a show of hands, who agrees to this arrangement?"

Seeing that the vast majority agreed to his terms, Spike smiled before he waved his wand and the board started to write out a list of magical creatures. On that list he included vampires and werewolves as he said he would, once it was done he spoke again to the class who he noticed had started to copy down the names.

"This is the list of creatures that I was given by the board of education to teach you all about. I have chosen this to be your first project so that we can get them out of the way quickly, but do not be fooled I will bring up their information again. I will be splitting you up into groups where I expect you to research your designated creature and to present it next class. I want to know what they are, their characteristics, what makes them dark, what they eat and how, I want to know everything that you can know about them."

"When will this be due?"

"Next class."

Hearing the children groan, Spike once again waved his wand and a piece of parchment floated to each student with the name of a creature and a number.

"The number on your parchment is when you will present your creature the name of your creature is shared amongst a few of you in the class. You may either do this as a group effort or alone, personally I don't care but what I do care about is the results. I expect each member of the team to know about their creature not just one person learn everything that you can. You have until the end of this class to get started so I suggest you use this time wisely."

That seemed to get everyone into action as one by one the students seemed to gather together in order to form groups. There was of course some conflict but this early in the year Spike didn't want to cause any kind of commotion so he had kept the groups with the same house except for the group with his mate and his nephew. It might be important in the future for the two of them to get along; in fact he was hoping that it would be important as he didn't want to lose either of them. While he hated Lucius for what he had done to the family name and what he tried to do he held no opinion of the son, only a desire to know his nephew. Keeping a watchful eye on the groups he noticed that Draco didn't seem too keen on going over to the other Gryffindors, and they didn't seem like they were going to welcome him into the group either.

Knowing that he couldn't single them out, Spike went to work grading the tests he had given to his earlier classes. When there was around ten minutes left of the class he once again stood up from behind his desk and walked to the front of it to lean on. Most of the students had noticed that he moved and stopped what they were doing including Harry and his group.

"Alright we have around ten minutes left of class and I would like to take this time to open the class to any questions you may have for me."

"Are you really a vampire?"

Nodding his head, Spike had been expecting this question, and he was also expecting to hear it asked many more times before this was all over.

"Yes I am a vampire; also everything that you may have read in todays' article is completely true."

"So that makes you the real lord Malfoy?"

Nodding his head once again Spike wondered where this was going as it was one of the Slytherins that asked.

"So that means that Dracos' father is only a distant relation to the Malfoy name. Will you be filing an injunction against them?"

Surprised by the question he looked at Draco who had paled from the question, if he wished to legally he could take Lucius for everything he was and still submit him to a blood feud. Spike however had no intention to do so.

"No, I will not be taking any kind of extreme legal action against the Malfoy family. I will however be contacting Lucius yet again to see if we can come to some kind of arrangement."

"How do we know that you aren't here to drain us dry? How do we know that you're safe?"

"You don't. In all honesty nothing I say can or will prove that I am safe to be around, especially around so many humans; however, I will prove to you with my actions that I am indeed safe. It was never me that had an interest in children's blood that was always my Sire."

Just then the bell rang and the students left the classroom empty except for one boy with platinum blond hair who stuck behind. Spike didn't move from his place against his desk and waited until everyone else left before he turned his full attention to Draco who was sitting there seeming to try to bring up the words he wanted to say. Finally the blond turned his gaze up from where it had been starring at the desk and looked Spike in the eye, the emotions that Spike could see there, the plea for help, caused something to stir in his long-dead heart.

"Please help me, I ask for sanctuary, for a way out. I give my wish to become your charge instead of my father's heir."

***~*~* This Chapter had been edited by the lovely **


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three

***~* Chapter Thirty-Three *~*~***

Draco hadn't known when he had decided to renounce his old title and name, maybe it was before he even decided to stay after class maybe during. Originally he had thought about asking for a place to stay until this all blew over, until the war was over and if needed he could always come back to his family depending on who won. He had planned on being the perfect Slytherin, of playing both sides until he knew which would win the war. That hadn't been what came out of his mouth when he faced his chance to get away from it all, instead of asking for a safe place to stay, maybe a good word on his behalf to the headmaster who everyone knew was the opposing side of the war he asked for his history to be wiped clean.

Although he loved his parents dearly, enough that he would do anything to protect them he knew that there was nothing that he could do for them, not now. The most that he could hope for was that his mother wouldn't suffer from his choices and that she would be smart enough clever enough to survive the war. He had no hope for his father's survival. Even if the dark won, his own actions would count against him Lucius Malfoy was a valuable man, but Lucius himself was not. The only thing that the Dark Lord needed Lucius for now was his money and perhaps his properties but even that was dwindling and as soon as everything in the bank was dried up then Lord Voldemort wouldn't need him anymore, and what the Dark Lord doesn't need he gets rid of.

While his original idea had been for him to play at both sides he knew that as soon as the words were out of his mouth it was the right thing to do. His friends may label him a coward and his parents would be hurt but eventually they would understand, at least he hoped that they would… that they would survive to do so. By telling Lord Malfoy that he no longer wished to be his father heir he was giving up everything that he was raised for, everything that his parents made him. He didn't know how to be anything but the Malfoy heir, the one child that would claim all titles and riches of his ancestors. Now he would have nothing, only what this William Malfoy was willing to give him, what his kindness would allow being that it was a relative before that ripped him off, he didn't think that he would be too kind this time around. He could only hope that the Malfoy Lord would at least grant him safety.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

The question was spoken softly, tenderly as if he was a frightened animal but surprisingly Draco didn't feel afraid. For the first time in a while he didn't fear where he was headed instead he decided to grab a hold of this chance with both hands.

"Yes, I'm sure if you will have me I would like to become your charge."

"You would have to renounce all other titles and family, you would in essence be casting yourself out of your family. You would never be able to call them your parents again, I know that you have no siblings to speak of however should one be conceived you would not be their brother, you would be just another stranger with a similar face. Any money that would normally be yours through blood will be wiped clean, in essence you would belong to nobody, and you would have no family."

Looking up at the man who had right now the power to destroy him he wondered what the other was thinking. The letter that he had read from the other earlier in the day had spoken of granting him safety; he could have security as long as he followed by some very simple rules. Nothing else was needed it said, he could keep his title as heir to his father's line and still be able to refuse the dark mark. He didn't need to do this, but he knew he would regret it if he didn't. The line of his father was over, there was nothing that could be said or done that would bring them back into society. If he was to continue the most he could hope for was that his father wouldn't make it worse, but he knew his father and he wouldn't let go of his pride for anything… not even for the future of his son.

"I understand, but I am willing if you are. Besides, I would still have you for family wouldn't I?"

It was then that Draco saw something that for a moment made him pause in his breathing. It was nothing more than a smile, but he swore he had never seen anything so heart-felt. For a creature of the dark, Draco hadn't been expecting to be so touched by a look, nor did he think that Lord Malfoy could have such a look on his face. If he didn't know any better he could see the shine of slight tears on the others eyes while he smiled at him, perfectly happy the same way that Draco figured a soldier would feel seeing his home country after years at war. Thinking of it now, that was exactly how the vampire looked, but for all Draco knew perhaps that was what was happening.

"Yes young Draco, you would still have me."

Nodding his head, Draco held out his wand which was one of the things that would have to go as soon as the spell was cast. Everything that he owned including the clothes on his back belonged to the Malfoy family, the bastard line to which he would no longer belong. Looking at William he took a deep breath before he started the spell that would change his life.

"I Draco Lucius Malfoy do hereby renounce myself as the Malfoy heir. I shall from this day forth no longer be of the Malfoy family. I renounce Lucius Abraxas Malfoy as my father. I renounce Narcisssa Malfoy nee Black as my mother. I renounce all familial ties and place myself only at the mercy of Lord Malfoy."

"I Lord William Spencer Malfoy do hereby acknowledge, Draco Lucius Malfoy, as my charge. All ties in blood and magic shall be banished from him, bar my own."

Surprised Draco looked up from where he had been starring at the two wands which were now pointed at each other. While he was expecting the banishment this still left him with the tie to his new Lord and in doing so, should Lord Malfoy not produce or name another heir Draco was entitled to be the next in line.

"He shall be known as Draco William Malfoy, and should none be born of my doing, charge and heir of my own."

Opening his mouth both Draco and William spoke the ending phrase at the same time. "So mote it be." The moment that the last word had left their mouths a burst of light came from the two wands, the colors of their house surrounding them in a whirlwind of pure magic. The sight would have been beautiful if either of them were able to see through the magic. Once the magic had died down, Draco found himself standing the middle of the classroom naked, not even his wand was in his hand as he knew it would no longer belong to him. He could, if he liked, write to his former father and mother about the wand. He would have to write to them to explain what happened, but he was sure that by renouncing his mother's blood that he also lost any and all ability from her line, including the combination of his wand.

Seeing how Draco was lost in his own thoughts, Spike took off his cloak and wrapped it around the lost boy who he now claimed as his own. It wasn't how he thought things would go; perhaps he had hoped that the young man would turn down the hostility towards his mate but he never expected this. It would be hard, he knew, trying to take care of the boy while he had a war to fight; but at least now he knew that his line was secure. As a vampire he could not sire a child, he could only turn someone into a vampire, never father a child. As the Malfoy family had to continue on it would be safest for Draco while he had some of the same blood running through his veins to claim the darker parts of their family. Magic was a tricky thing, even though he didn't die of blood loss if a muggle was to do a DNA test right now they would no longer find him the son of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy, he would have only Williams claim and nothing else. It could not be undone; Draco could never go back to being the son of Lucius and Narcissa and they could never claim him again as theirs.

"I'm sorry of what you had to give up, but I promise so long as you follow by what instructions I have given you than you have nothing to fear from me. I will protect you, Draco. I will make sure that you remain safe during this war, as safe as I possibly can but first thing's first. How about we get some shopping done and we will have to speak with the headmaster as well I suppose, he will be curious after all about the amount of magic being used."

Placing one hand on Dracos back Spike was sure to stick as close as he could to hallways that would be deserted this time of day. This was the last class of the day, and he didn't want Draco to be seen in such little clothing it wasn't respectable. As they were making their way to the headmaster's office, Spike had a thought that they couldn't very well have Draco walking around shopping with no shoes or clothing. Instead of bringing him straight to the office, Spike dared to hope that he was doing the right thing and instead lead the boy to the Gryffindor dorm. It wasn't until they were in front of the portrait that Draco seemed to wake up from whatever daze he was in from both the realization of what had happened as well as the change in magic.

"I know that this may hurt your pride however please don't say anything to make me regret taking you in. I expect you to be thankful for any help that the Gryffindors show you, I noticed that young Mister Potter seems to be the same size or roughly the same size as you and you need something to wear if you are to go shopping with me."

"He won't help me."

"You'd be surprised Draco what a Gryffindor will do for the greater good, they can't seem to help themselves."

Not waiting for a response from the boy beside him, Spike knocked beside the portrait making sure not to harm the fat lady who was looking at him without saying a word. He could use his code which was given to each professor to open the doorway however if there was a bunch of children around he didn't want to subject Draco to them starring. Waiting a few moments with no answer Spike leaned in close to the portrait and used his code of 'Dark Princess' to gain entrance to the common room which he pulled Draco along into as well. The first thought that passed his mind was that it was all covered in red and gold, unlike the Slytherin dorms were the house colors were displayed elegantly he noticed that it was like someone went crazy and threw up red and gold everywhere.

The second thing he noticed was that his mate was inside the room, he was sitting on one of the couches. The third thing he noticed and he would admit that his vision started fading to red after he registered what he was seeing, was that a pretty redheaded girl was _kissing his mate._ For a second just a split second he lost control, for that second he could feel his demon wanting nothing more than to tear them apart and to _rip her to shreds._ The problem and the only salvation that stopped him from tearing into her was the gasp from the stairs which he assumed lead to the dormitories. While he managed to gain enough control not to kill one of his students and rape another he couldn't control the deep growl that came from his throat.

That growl seemed to break the happy couple apart to look at him, and Spike knew that his eyes were bleeding red. He could feel his claws tear at his skin and he could tell without checking that his fangs were enlarged just ready to tear into the chit who thought she could take his mate away. He had to close his eyes, during which time the chit at least was smart enough to run to her room wherever that may be, probably thinking that the wards to stop boys from entering would also stop him. She was wrong but he wouldn't play out that scenario while trying to calm down.

Surprisingly it wasn't his mate who calmed him down but his nephew-turned-heir. While his inner vampire, his demon didn't understand things like claiming one as a charge and heir it did understand that his magic, his bloodline ran through the child and he would not harm him. It was a safety measure, one that made him glad that he took Draco on as more than his charge but as his heir as well otherwise he would have given in as the young man placed his hand on his shoulder.

"My Lord, you need to get a hold of yourself. My Lord?"

It was his proper title from the boy; he was not the blonde's father and would not be addressed as such. He was not his sire and therefore he could only call him by his title until they reached an emotional level to define what they were to each other and right now he needed to hear a voice of reason because The Powers knew that there wasn't one in his own mind. Breathing in deeply one breath at a time he started to calm himself down, focusing on the fact that he did not wish to harm or scare his new charge and killing one of his classmates would surely do that.

"I… Oh Merlin, William I…"

Opening his eyes in what was probably at least a few moments, Spike looked at his flustered mate. He noticed right away that his lips were slightly plump, bruised from the kisses of another. His hair was messed up, as of the girl had been running her fingers through it, she probably had. He needed to leave and he needed to do it quickly before he lost himself completely and claimed his mate with or without his consent.

"I came to request for young Draco here to borrow a few articles of clothing since you are of similar size as well as a pair of shoes. I will of course buy you a new outfit in thanks for your generosity."

It was all business now, he realized and he wondered if it would ever be anything more. For a few minutes nobody spoke but Spike noticed that the friend, the brother of the one who perhaps took his mate went upstairs and returned with the requested items. The boy didn't look in his eyes, but perhaps that was for the best, during the interaction Harry didn't speak and that perhaps cut deeper than anything the boy could have said. Taking the clothes and shoes from Ronald Spike nodded his thanks before he turned to leave. Guiding Draco along and making sure that the blonde didn't let go of the physical contact as it was what was holding him in he wondered not for the first time why he was always loves bitch.

***~*~*~ This was edited by the lovely LokiHatake! **


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four

***~*~*~* Chapter Thirty-Four *~*~*~**

There was a bathroom not too far down the hall and Spike was sure to go inside the washroom with Draco although he let the boy change alone in one of the stalls. Once he was done Spike noticed that the boy kept his cloak to go over his clothing, it caused him a slight bit of relief, that the boy would still want to stay close to him. They made their way to the headmaster's office; Spike wondered how he would explain everything that happened. It was then that he realized that he didn't have to. There was nothing stating that a professor was unable to children or to claim a child as their charge. It use to happen a lot in the early ages that an adult would claim a muggleborn child to bring them into their society earlier on and from time to time a professor would end up teaching their own children. It wasn't unheard of, and Draco while a child in his eyes was still over seventeen therefore he was of legal age to do basically whatever he wished to within the law.

Coming to the gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office, Spike stopped walking and turned towards his charge. The boy still had his hand resting against Spike's arm and caused a wave of warmth to flow through him that the boy seemed to care slightly about him, enough to at least give his this comfort. Looking at the boy he could see a part of himself in his eyes, there was just a touch of himself in there, just enough for Spike to swear to himself that he wouldn't disappoint this child no matter what came.

"Thank you, Draco for holding me back, I don't know what I would have done if I didn't break through to sanity once again."

That was a lie. He knew exactly what he would have done if Draco hadn't brought him back to himself, he would have torn into that girl. While he knew he would be consumed by heartbreak later on when he's alone to think about what just happened right now he needed his head on his shoulders. Seeing the question that Draco was probably too scared or nervous to ask, Spike figured that witnessing his new Lord almost kill someone entitled him to at least an explanation of why.

"I promise to explain after you're settled into your new situation. This isn't a conversation that I wish to have out in the open, but once we're done with the headmaster and getting you some things I promise that the two of us will sit down and talk."

Draco only nodded his head before the two of them heard the gargoyle move to admit them into the headmaster's office. Spike took the lead in walking up the staircase to see Albus, something he was in all honesty dreading. While he didn't mind talking to the headmaster he knew that it would only be a matter of time before Harry or one of his friends say something about how he nearly lost control, about how he was a threat. Maybe, however that would be for the best seeing that Harry obviously wasn't willing to at least try for the two of them, maybe it would be better if he just got out of the way so that he could be happy with the girl.

Knocking on the door, Spike waited a moment for Albus to call him in before he opened it and walked in, Draco following behind him. At Albus' request the two of them sat down in front of his desk, Draco sitting a bit farther away from Albus which Spike noticed strait away. He didn't know what kind of relationship the blonde had with the old man, but not once did Draco look up to see him since they both walked in.

"William my lad, how are you finding teaching?"

While he used to be part of the social circles that his father had brought him to, Spike now didn't care for small talk. Given his situation with his mate though, perhaps it would be beneficial to engage with the old man this time.

"I believe it will take some time to be completely comfortable with it but for now the children seem to be doing fine. If I run into any problems with my teaching I will be sure to come to you, but for now I come on behalf of Mister Malfoy."

"Indeed, well what can I do to help the two of you?"

"I'm sure that you noticed the power surge of magic earlier?"

Receiving a nod in reply, Spike was a bit worried about how to word what he needed to say. While there was nothing that anyone, be it Albus or the Minister could do he still felt a bit uncomfortable with the situation. Glancing for a moment at Draco, he saw that the young man was still looking away from the headmaster, away from both adults in the room as if he wasn't even there.

"Mister Malfoy came to me asking for my aid and protection. To do this he renounced his now-former parents and I took him on as my charge and heir."

William figured that he would have to capture this memory latter in a vial so that he could prove later on that he shocked Albus Dumbledore. Spike watched as the headmasters eyes widened and he could hear a soft gasp of shock from the man as he looked almost comically from Spike to Draco and back again.

"Oh, this is a development… and the vows?"

"They were sworn in and magic has accepted. I am now his only blood and magic relation, having forsaken all former ties however has left him in a bit of a… well I wish to take him shopping for essentials. All former possessions would now be at his former home, including any clothing and school supplies, therefore I am also wondering if you could also give me a list of equipment that he will need for the school year as well."

"Where did you get the clothes that you're wearing now? One of your friends perhaps that witnessed the ritual?"

Now that he was being addressed instead of talked about, Draco was slightly startled and brought his head up for only a moment, making sure to avoid eye contact.

"They're Potters; Lord Malfoy covered me with his cloak and asked Potter to lend me some clothing for today as we are approximately the same size."

"I'm sure that this was a hard decision of the both of you, and of course you may accompany your new charge to get him a few things. I will have Severus bring up a copy of young Mister Malfoy's Hogwarts letter. As Head of House he is required to have a copy of each of his Slytherin students schedule as well as a class equipment list after they are sorted into his house. It helps with the paperwork in case something like this happens although I have to admit that I have never seen this situation before as Headmaster of this school."

Taking a quill, Albus wrote a quick note down and passed it over to Fawkes who was watching the whole interaction. William himself knew that phoenixes were exceptionally smart so it didn't faze him a bit to see that Albus didn't have to give the bird any orders before Fawkes was off his perch and burned away with the letter. It would take a few moments for Severus to make his appearance, which at first caused an awkward silence before Spike decided that he had put Draco through enough today and that he really didn't need the silence right then when it would give him too much time to think.

"I also request that Draco be permitted a pass to be allowed in my chambers."

"Of course, I understand that young Mister Malfoy will have much to be caught up on. So long as this does not affect his class work I see no reason why he shouldn't be allowed to spend time with his new guardian."

"Thank you Albus, I understand that this whole situation is uncommon and that once this becomes public knowledge that it may have some… unknown side-effects however I believe that it can be handled fairly easily."

"From your end, perhaps however I am worried about you Mister Malfoy. May I be so bold to ask how you feel about this?"

"How I feel? I was the one who suggested it, Headmaster. I feel that this is my best chance of surviving the war without a nasty tattoo. Everyone knows about my father, it's no surprise that the Dark Lord expects me to take his mark as well, what was unexpected was how soon he wishes for me to make that vow. The moment that I leave the school for anything, Yule being one of those occasions I would have to kneel in front of a madman and pledge my allegiance, or I would die."

Albus was about to say something else when there was a knock on his door, it seemed as though Severus had arrived. Calling for him to enter the office, Albus clasped his hands together on the desk while Severus opened the door and stepped inside. While Severus had of course been expecting Draco considering whose file he had been asked to bring to see Lord Malfoy there was a bit of a shock. Now there were a few things that he knew for certain, one being that there was no way that Lucius would have let Draco go to school without some of his supplies, two being that Lord Malfoy would have no reason to know Draco's school supply list.

It wasn't a secret that Severus was the boys' godfather, a fact that he was proud of. Although it had always been hard for him to find time to spend with the boy, he noticed that until the past couple of years that Draco had been able to drop his mask from time to time. Ever since Voldemort came back he had been having a hard time finding time and places to drop his mask, something that Severus himself had experience with. Whatever Draco brought upon himself this time Severus just hoped that it wouldn't break the child as his own father was bound to do before everything is said and done.

"Albus I have the file you asked for, may I ask what this is about?"

"I understand your concern Severus but perhaps this is best kept between Lord and Mister Malfoy."

While normally he wouldn't question Albus, this time Severus felt that he couldn't let whatever was happening go through without knowing. While he didn't care for very many people, enough that he could count on one hand and one being dead already he did care for his godson. More than once he had thought about just taking Draco and leaving England, perhaps the Wizarding world all together. More than once he had thought about confronting Lucius about how he raised his son, not to feel, to use his money and name to gain friends, Draco was raised to never be his own person, to never stand on his own two feet and make his own choices and Severus always blamed himself for not helping him enough. From time to time he would be able to have Draco over for the night or the weekend and during that time he undid some of what Lucius taught him, enough that Draco was more than just a clone of his father.

"As his Head of House I respectfully disagree."

This seemed to snap Draco out of whatever he was thinking about as he as well as William turned to Severus. Even Albus didn't seem to be expecting that reaction as he also took a moment to respond.

"Severus?"

"Unless there is something that I don't know as his Head of House Mister Malfoy is under my direct care while his father is residing outside of the school. Because of this I am entitled to know why these files are being requested; furthermore as Lord Malfoy is present I can assume that he is the cause of the request. Therefore Headmaster I respectfully disagree with your assessment of not allowing me to know what is happening with one of my Slytherins."

"I apologise Severus, however truly this is none of your concern."

"I renounced my parents and Lord Malfoy is now _my_ Lord and guardian."

Draco it seemed had no problem with Severus knowing what was happening; Spike wondered what the relationship was between the two. While he knew that it wasn't sexual in nature, nothing pointed towards that he wondered if Severus was still there for another reason. From the records that he had looked through, Spike did get a hold of the accusations made against Severus, of him being a Death Eater and more importantly there was one case where Albus himself defended Severus, saved him from being placed in Azkaban.

"Draco, what have you done?"

"What other choice did I have? With Lord Malfoy back the Dark Lord only has two uses for my fath-Lucius, what money Lord Malfoy is generous enough to let him keep and me. I know that Lucius would never lower his pride enough to actually accept or Merlin forbid apologize, what is to come. Lucius has already offered me to the Dark Lord, has already given up our home when _he_ comes around, has spent the majority of his life wanting nothing more than to _kneel at his feet_. Tell me Severus, how long do you really think the Dark Lord will wait before he decides that in order to punish Lucius that he would use me? I had to do _something_ or come Yule I would be covering up more than just my personality."

"Your mother…"

"Is nothing more than a trophy-wife now. Any and all power that she once had was taken away the moment that she married into the Malfoy family, the only hope that she has now is to wait and pray. Yes, this will hurt them, her more than him but what other choice did I really have?"

"Young Draco if you had asked I would have protected you."

Attention was once again brought to Albus who was looking at the boy with such a look of sadness, Spike didn't know if he should be insulted that Albus thought that it was sad what path Draco chose. It seemed that Draco thought so as well as instead of making eye contact with Albus he shook his head instead.

"No, that was never an option for me. I believe that I have had enough hiding, besides no offence headmaster but I would rather be marked by a figure of dark than of light. I don't belong with your Gryffindors and heroes; I belong with those that _understand_ and nobody understands like a Malfoy. You may be a pureblood Headmaster; however I seriously doubt that you understand truly what that entails anymore… not for my generation, and not for my family."

"Ones blood..."

"Is ones legacy."

For the first time since Severus came into the office Spike spoke. While he didn't believe that muggleborns should be rejected from society he did remember his family and what he was taught by them. Looking at Draco now, Spike realized that he since he learnt who his mate was kept trying to prove that he wasn't a typical Malfoy. Now though, he knew that perhaps some of his own beliefs were reflected in the Malfoy line that his brother created.

"You believe that bloodlines are important?"

Placing his hand on Draco's arm, a reflection of what the boy had done for him Spike answered as honestly as he could.

"Of course they are, while I don't condone what the Dark Lord is doing… and I honestly couldn't care less if someone was muggleborn or not for most things I would never marry one. They are here to help cleanse some of the magic that had been dwindling for far too long however they come into this world ignorant of how we live and how to work. Blood is important, I know I've felt it… I've tasted it, the difference between someone with and without magic, and between a pureblood and muggleborn. That however is a conversation for another time, one I am sure we will visit in the near future. I would like to have Draco's things before he is to turn in for the night, and it is getting late as it is."

"I just have to know why you didn't come to me."

"Because you would never be able to protect me, you may have been my godfather but you're too deep into this war to be able to protect me completely. While I'm sure my Lord will have his role to play Malfoy's always look after their own, and I knew that he will do everything in his power to make sure that I remain safe. Besides so long as Lucius was my father by blood and magic he had the ability to control me, he could force me to take the mark regardless of what I wanted, he could and would have married me off to one of the supporters and forced me to sire him a grandchild."

Spike stood up and gestured for Draco to do so as well which he did, at least now he knew what relationship was between the two. It was sad, because he had to cut off all ties of his former family, Severus wasn't his godfather anymore. Walking past Severus who was still it seemed in a slight shock, Spike took the papers that he was holding in loose grip before he and Draco left the office. On the way down the two of them remained silent both caught up in their own thoughts of what would happen now. William wondered how this would affect everything with Harry, if there was something there to affect anymore.

The two of them walked to the end of the wards that allowed them to apparate, instead of asking Draco to do so alone Spike grabbed the small shoulders in front of him and held Draco in a loose hug. He would take the two of them away to shop for a bit, and afterwards when the shopping was all said and done they would go their separate ways for the night. Draco would go to his bed, the same bed that he had slept in the night before only tonight it would seem like it was completely new. Draco would fall asleep, not knowing what the next day would bring but knowing that for now at least he could show his friends who he really was and for the first time in his life he would be judged by who _he_ was, not his father.

William on the other hand would go to his chambers, the one that Albus had assigned to him and he would refuse the blood that his house elf brought to him. While he sat down on his chair looking at the fireplace he would wonder, and he would think which would bring him into a horrible place inside his mind. Over and over he would replay the image of his mate kissing someone else, someone that wasn't him, that could in fact give him a life that Spike never could. And as Spike broke down, sobbing and throwing his things around the room he would curse his life, curse his luck and curse the four figures who once again cursed him to live.

During it all two large eyes watched, as they always did, but Blitsy never said a word. While Spike, her master and the only human-like-being to ever show her kindness she also shed tears. House-elves were strange beings, and most were seen as nothing more than servants but no matter the elf and no matter the situation they cared for their master in some way.

Two more pairs of eyes watched that night as Spike unintentionally let them know of his pain, of the heartache that he was feeling. Those two pairs of eyes watched as William the soft and caring Malfoy Lord found something in himself that seemed too familiar, but not as William no as a beast of the night. By the end of the night the long brown hair of the Malfoy Lord was shortened by the man himself not with a wand but with crude scissors. Those two pairs of eyes watched and mourned silently for the change in their master, the one that they chose while he was forced once again to bury his heart.

Four pairs of eyes that night cried, but only one cried for what was… the other three cried for what could have been.

**A/N: Okay I know that this ending isn't really… well happy or what anyone asked of me but I think that this is really going to help me get back on the right track. To be perfectly honest I didn't know for a while how to move Spike to the next level, how to bring him to where I need him and this will really help. Now I do want to make this perfectly clear, this will not become a Spike/Draco fanfic. The feelings that Spike has for Draco is not in any way romantic I promise you. I would like to dedicate this chapter not to a person (because honestly this was sad) but to a **_**song Say Something **_**by**_** A Great Big World.**_

**I would also like to say a huge thank you to all those who reviewed for the last chapter, I posted it on my birthday and it was really great to get those reviews while I went through my day. I am now officially 24 and actually wrote this whole chapter on my birthday as a kind of present to myself. **

**Don't forget who took the time to edit this, a huge thank you to LokiHatake! **


	35. Chapter Thirty-Five

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

Harry didn't know what to think when he woke up the next day after William had caught him kissing Ginny. At first he had thought about chasing the other man down, of running to him after he got himself together and was able to think and speak clearly. Ron was surprisingly the one to tell him that he had to give the vampire time, that none of them knew how the vampire would react to what he had seen, what he must have thought. The kiss hadn't been Harry's idea; in fact he was dead-set against it however Ginny was quicker and a bit more forward than what he had been expecting. He had been talking with her about his situation, trying to make her understand that he had chosen to give this… relationship with William a try.

He had already explained it to Hermione and Ron who were completely for the idea of him settling down with his mate, the one person in the world who would never hurt him. With everything going on, and the fact that Molly had asked for Ginny to go back to the Burrow for the remainder of the summer he hadn't had the chance to talk to her. Harry knew that she would be disappointed, they had started to date properly and now he was going to be with someone completely different, and a man at that. Ginny hadn't taken it well, she had yelled at him for a while which was why Ron left the common room to go to the dorms. Then after she was done yelling she had asked him to kiss her, to prove that she meant nothing more to him anymore. He thought that it would be fine, that William would never know and he could prove his point so he had leant forwards to press his lips against hers.

Kissing girls was never something that he had much experience with, while he had been kind of seeing Ginny for a while they never progressed to more than a simple peck on the lips. This time she wanted it all, her whole body was pressed against him, her fingers in his hair while he just sat there. From what his other dorm-mates had said he was expecting to have fireworks and well… something but all he felt was a sense of shame and regret. Harry was just about to push her away when he heard a growling from the entrance and breaking away from Ginny he saw William standing there. Everything else that happened seemed like a blur to him, he couldn't get his mouth to work to explain what happened, all he could do was look at those now red eyes that seemed to glow with rage.

Somewhere in his mind he registered that Ginny had left, most likely to save her own life while he could hear Ron coming down from the dorms. Seeing someone touch William he was surprised when he saw that it was Malfoy who was touching William to try and calm him down, he also noticed that Malfoy was wearing Williams robe. It was the same robe that the vampire had been wearing for class earlier that day which caused him to be both confused and angry. He didn't have the chance to ask about it before Ron had returned with what looked like his own clothing and passed it to William who then left the room, to go where he didn't know but he didn't think that he had the ability to ask just then.

"I don't know what just happened there Harry, but you seriously need to think about what you tell him tomorrow."

Harry had then explained to Ron exactly just had happened, the words came out of his mouth before he even understood what he was saying. After he was done, Ron just looked at him for a few minutes before he sighed and in a moment of maturity that would have made Hermione proud he spoke.

"You need to wait until tomorrow before you do anything."

"But…"

"No listen, you may have been raised a muggle but after learning that you were going to be the mate of a dark creature Hermione and I researched it together. We assumed, well Hermione did that you would be reading up on your own time but I guess you haven't."

"I..."

"Now I'm going to help you with this Harry but you cannot go to him tonight. The fact that he didn't kill Ginny is a miracle but if you get him alone right now there is a really good chance that he won't wait anymore, and will just take you as his mate."

Harry didn't try to say anything, didn't try to explain as Ron came up to where he was sitting and took Ginny's previous spot on the couch. Reaching out a hand Ron held it on Harry's shoulder for a moment.

"Do you still want him? Do you really want to give it a try with Lord Malfoy?"

"Yes."

There was no hesitation; he did want to try with the Malfoy Lord, no matter what he might think right now. He wanted to try a relationship with the vampire, after seeing how angry, how hurt the older man was when he thought that Harry was cheating on him he couldn't want anything else. While Harry wanted to be his own person, his own man he also wanted someone that would protect him, that cared for him before anything else and he knew that he had that with William.

"Okay… tomorrow I want you stay away from Ginny. I don't know what she was thinking trying to go after a vampires mate, but I will talk with her I don't want you to so much as say hi to her until after you're mated. I think Hermione is safe, I mean he didn't have a problem with me or her before so I don't think he will now but to be careful I will be a buffer between you and any other girl when he's around and when he isn't."

"Okay."

Ron had then left to talk with Ginny but Harry didn't hear what was said instead he went to the boy's showers; he needed to feel clean again. Now he had to face the day, Ron and Hermione had gone through what he should say, how he should act around William. His plan was after breakfast to go see the man in his office before classes started. The three of them made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast, Ginny looked at him like she was about to sit down with them once they took their places however one look from Ron and she sat at the other end of the table. None of them spoke while they ate, although Harry didn't eat much as he was prone not to when nervous.

Hermione took it upon herself to try and make him feel better about the conversation he was about to have with William. She started talking about the project that they had been assigned and what ideas she had to use, they all made plans to meet after classes to finish the project since they had defense the next day. Harry nodded along with Ron while she went off about how they could present their subject, vampires. When William walked in, Ron nudged Harry who looked up at the staff table to look at him. His normally long brown hair, hair that Harry knew meant something to the pureblood circles was chopped short and spiked. It was also dyed blond, and while he had seen this look before and appreciated it something told harry that the words that he had prepared may not be enough this time, that words themselves may not change a thing.

When the other students started to notice his new hair, they one by one told those around them until the whole school was looking at William. Harry noticed that Draco looked at William for a longer period of time than the others, and unlike the other students of his house he didn't seem to be speaking to anyone. Normally something like this, a pureblood acting outside of their status would be big news at the Slytherin table, and even Harry knew that most pureblood had longer hair. He was also sure that most of the time hair wasn't colored in the Wizarding world, although he never understood why. Even those that were up in years kept their original color, grey or white without dying it as if proud that they had reached an age where their hair could change color.

Harry didn't know what to think about William changing his style, what he did know was that when the werewolf came to speak with him this was the look that William had. He had called himself another name at the time… Spike. Not knowing what to make of the change, Harry finished his breakfast without before he left the table, Ron making sure to go with him as he was kind of acting like a human shield between Harry and the other students. As a group of three Harry Hermione and Ron all made their way to the DADA classroom, none noticing that they were being followed by a new Slytherin. Harry was the first to notice that they were being followed, having the most experience of being watched he could tell when someone was looking at him easier than the others.

Turning telling the two with him to hold on for a moment he turned around and was surprised to see Draco Malfoy coming down the hallway towards them. The four of them had charms first thing so there was no reason for Draco to come down to the DADA classroom. Draco didn't stop when they did; instead he came until he was only a couple feet from the group of Gryffindors before he spoke.

"Potter I wish to speak with you."

Before Harry could say anything, not having a lot of time before he had to speak with William, Draco continued.

"Actually now that I think about it, perhaps it's better if the rest of your golden trio is here. I wish to start over, Potter. I believe we may have gotten off on the wrong foot and I wish to apologise for any misdeeds I have done and request that we move on from here as though the past never happened."

"What?"

Perhaps it wasn't the most intelligent response he could have given but Harry wasn't in the mindset to think of anything else. Malfoy had been a right git since he refused to leave Ron for him, had tormented him and ridiculed him for years and now he was asking to put it all behind them? His first instinct was to say no, to refuse the truce in front of him and to continue to look for William but he knew Draco. Being his enemy lead Harry to spend a lot of time just observing the other boy and he knew that when Draco set his mind to something there was very little that would change it, if he wanted a truce eventually he would wear Harry down to it.

"What brought on this change of heart?"

Draco hesitated slightly before he answered, as if weighing how much he should really say.

"Last night, when Lord Malfoy asked you for the clothing, it was because all of my own at the time had been transferred to my former parents."

"Former?"

"I… I renounced my parents and have placed myself at the mercy of my Uncle. He was kind enough to have me on as his charge and heir, with some rules of course. I kept my old name, Draco Malfoy but any and all ties by blood and magic to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy have been cut."

It seemed to pain Draco to explain what was happening, but it was surprisingly Ron who was the first one to approach the blond. Holding out his hand he smiled slightly at Draco, being from a pureblood family even if it was one that was joked about did have its advantages. There were some things that Ron got a lot easier from having been exposed to magic and the way of the magical world long before his eleventh birthday. Hermione hadn't liked that Ron knew so much about the world that she was just starting to discover but from time to time they had to lean on Ron and his experience as opposed to any books.

"My name is Ronald Weasley; it's nice to meet you."

"Draco Malfoy; the pleasure is mine I'm sure."

They shook hands then, something that Harry never thought he would see; they would be talking to Ron later to ask what this was all about. Harry didn't shake hands with Draco though, it seemed that having one of them accept him was enough as shortly after Draco left them to make his way to class. Before he left out of their sight however, Draco locked eyes with Harry and spoke once again.

"I don't know what's going on between you and my Lord but I would advise against speaking with him until he has calmed down. He wasn't in his right state of mind for a while after we left your tower and I don't expect him to come back into himself for a while. Whatever that was about, you should watch yourself where he is concerned… Dumbledore may have approved him being here but never forget that he is a vampire, and vampires are marked as one of the most deadly and dangerous creatures there are."

Harry took the words to heart, and realised that for some reason Draco was trying to help him, but shaking off his concern he made his way to the DADA classroom with Hermoine and Ron following. Hermione tried to get him to go to class and to perhaps give William a bit more time before he spoke with him, but Harry would hear none of it. Coming to the door to the classroom, Harry paused before he knocked on the door.

"I think I should talk to him by myself, guys… you can wait out here if you want but I really need to speak with him alone about this."

"Harry I don't think…"

"Please Hermione? I promise if anything happens I will scream and then you and Ron can come in but I need to explain my side of things."

Seeing her nod and Ron take out his wand to be ready in case something did happen, Harry knocked on the door and waited for William to grant him entrance. Hearing the soft "enter" from the other side of the door Harry opened it and walked inside before closing it once again. The classroom looked no different from when he was in class the day before but somehow it felt different, but perhaps that was the man who was sitting behind his desk that was different. For a moment they didn't speak, and Harry realized that William wasn't speaking because he was trying to gain control of himself.

"What are you doing here, Mister Potter? Shouldn't you be getting ready for your first class of the day instead of standing there wasting both of our time?"

Harry was shocked by the way that William was speaking which caused him to pause before he said what he came here to.

"I'm sorry about last night… Ginny was my girlfriend before this whole thing happened and, I don't know I guess I wanted to see if I was still straight or what. I swear though that as long as you are willing to still give this a try that I won't touch her or anyone else like that again. I know that kissing her was wrong, and I'm sorry."

"Sorry that you got caught, right?"

"What?"

"You can stop playin' that you're willing to give this a go, luv. Honestly I've been expectin' this now for a while… you see I know that I'm loves' bitch and there ain't no two ways about it. So how about we just stop pretending that this is going to work out and actually think for a minute. I'm a vampire, you're a human and on top of that the so called saviour of the Wizarding world. There isn't a person that knows who you are that would think for one moment that you would give it all up for me, and I don't blame you. So go ahead and kiss your girlfriend, just try not to let me catch you next time."

"William that's not…"

Spike sighed and ran his hand through his now short hair; this was something that he had thought about since he managed to stop crying the night before. There was no way that this little boy in front of him truly understood what was happening, they were people from two different worlds… from two different times. Things had changed and Spike knew this, had seen the changes. He had been thinking about this like he would an arranged marriage from his time instead of one of this time. While pureblood still practiced arranged marriages muggles typically didn't, at least not around where Harry had lived. This was doomed from the start but he had already cried his tears, Spike was done crying for something that he couldn't change… he had survived worse.

"I get it, Harry and I am still here if you ever need anything. I will still be a member of and work for The Order so you don't have to worry about the war I'm not about to turn my back to you. Just… try to be discreet at least, what my conscious mind is coming to terms with my demon doesn't understand and someone could get hurt or killed."

"I…"

"Please just... let me rest in peace."

Those words hit a cord with Harry, made him really look at William and what he had reduced the vampire to. What was once a proud man was a vampire that he didn't know, but something told Harry that this vampire the one that he saw now with his blonde hair and leather jacket was the vampire that time had made. William, the Lord of the Malfoy line was in there somewhere, but he was once again buried in whatever it was that caused William to turn into Spike in the first place… buried deep enough that Harry didn't know if he would ever see the man again. This blonde though, he was the vampire that survived three hundred years, through heartache and pain, through hell and warfare and Harry wondered if perhaps that was what they needed, what he needed. The vampire instead of the man.

"I am sorry."

Saying what he had come there to say Harry turned and left the classroom, making sure not to look at William again. He didn't pause after shutting the door behind him and made his way to class, ignoring Ron and Hermione who were asking a thousand questions from either side of him while they walked to class. He didn't have the answers right then, and to be honest with himself he didn't know if he ever would. All Harry knew at that time was that the courtship was over, that when William finally had enough and decided to take him for a mate that it wouldn't be William the polite aristocrat that would take him and claim it… no it would be this Spike. Harry could only pray to The Powers That Be that this Spike creature wasn't the monster that people claimed vampires to be.

_****** As always a huge thank you to LokiHatake for editing this! ******_

**A/N:**** I would like to apologize for the delay in posting this chapter I managed to get really sick, enough so that I am now just able to even check my email for the first time in days. I'm getting better now though so here's the chapter! Hope you liked it. **


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